• 

SANTA  ( 


EX  L  I  B  R  I  S 

Robert  W,  Brokaw 


FOUR  YEARS  WITH   FIVE  ARMIES 


ISAAC  GAUSE 

Serg-eant,  Co.  E,  Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FRONT1SP1ECK 


Four  Years  with 
Five  Armies 


Army  of  the  Frontier,  Army  of  the  Potomac, 

Army  of  the  Missouri,  Army  of  the 

Ohio,  Army  of  the  Shenandoah 


BY 
ISAAC  CAUSE 

Late  of  Co.   E,   Second  Ohio  Cav. 


NEW  YORK  AND  WASHINGTON 

THE    NEALE   PUBLISHING    COMPANY 

1908 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  BY 
THE  NEALE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


PREFACE 

It  is  not  the  object  of  the  author  in  this  little 
book  to  give  a  history  of  his  life,  or  of  the 
company,  or  of  the  regiment  in  which  he 
served.  But  it  is  his  purpose  to  relate  some 
of  the  causes  that  led  him  to  enlist;  and  what 
he  observed  during  four  years'  service. 

Being  only  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  the  war,  reared  in  a  rural  district,  with 
little  knowledge  of  men  and  their  ways,  and 
no  knowledge  whatever  of  military  organiza- 
tion; with  no  ambition  but  to  do  his  part  in 
coercing  the  seceded  States  to  return  to  the 
Union ;  and  with  nothing  to  indicate  the  length 
of  time  required  to  accomplish  the  task;  with 
no  thought  of  ever  being  able  to  write  any- 
thing that  would  interest  people,  he  now  finds 
himself  poorly  prepared  to  do  justice  to  the 
task. 

Having  seen  many  claims  made  for  official 
recognition  for  deeds  done  in  the  ordinary 
line  of  duty,  it  now  appears  to  be  his  duty  to 
his  comrades  to  rehearse  these  extraordinary 
experiences. 

It  was  his  custom  to  keep  a  diary  when  start- 
ing on  a  campaign,  but  owing  to  the  toilsome 
march,  together  with  the  task  of  procuring 


4  Preface 

something  for  his  horse  and  himself  to  sub- 
sist on,  the  diary  was  either  abandoned  or 
lost.  So*  guided  almost  entirely  by  memory, 
he  can  write  only  a  short  history  of  the  long 
campaigns,  privations,  and  engagements. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  OBSERVATIONS  IN  A  RURAL  DISTRICT     .  9 

II.  CAMP  LIFE  AT  CLEVELAND     .      .      .      .  17 

III.  WINTER  QUARTERS  AT  CAMP  DENNISON  31 

IV.  MY  FIRST  PICKET   DUTY     ....  48 
V.  MY  FIRST  SKIRMISH 56 

VI.  THE  INDIAN   EXPEDITION     .      .  75 

VII.  PROVOST   DUTY  AT   FORT   SCOTT     .      .   102 

VIII.  IN  QUARTERS  AT  CAMP  CHASE     .      .113 

IX.  IN    KENTUCKY 122 

X.  ON   MORGAN'S  TRAIL 148 

XL  THE    CAPTURE   OF    MORGAN     .      .      .160 
XII.  EVENTS  SUCCEEDING  A  FURLOUGH     .      .176 

XIII.  CAMPAIGNING  IN    EAST  TENNESSEE     .    183 

XIV.  MORE  TENNESSEE  SERVICE     .      .      .      .199 
XV.  THE  END  OF  THE  CAMPAIGNS  OF  '63     .213 

XVI.  IN  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC     .      .217 

XVII.  SERVICE    IN    VIRGINIA 232 

XVIII.  ROUGH  TIMES  IN  THE  OLD  DOMINION  247 
XIX.  THE  FORTUNES  AND  MISFORTUNES  OF 

WAR 267 

XX.  THE  WILSON  RAID 275 

XXL  GENERAL  KAUTZ  IN  His  ELEMENT     .  286 
XXII.  REORGANIZING  AND  HUSTLING        .      .  298 


6  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIII.  CAPTURE  OF  THE  EIGHTH  SOUTH  CARO- 

LINA   INFANTRY 306 

XXIV.  BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK     ....  330 
XXV.  CUSTER'S   RAID 343 

XXVI.  WINTER  QUARTERS 348 

XXVII.  JAMES  RIVER  CANAL  RAID     .      .      .      .352 

XXVIII.  THE  LAST  BATTLES 366 

XXIX.  MUSTERED  OUT    .......   375 

XXX.  POLITICAL   AND   MILITARY   EFFECT   OF 

MORGAN'S   RAID 381 

XXXI.  THE  ARMY  HORSE 383 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

ISAAC  CAUSE       . Frontispiece 

MEDAL  OF  HONOR Facing  page         9 

FRANKLIN  ACKLEY 22 

CHARLES  GRANDISON  FAIRCHILD   .  54 

G.  W.  BYARD "          "         86 

A.  V.  KAUTZ 108 

MATHIAS  M.  SPRINGER       ...  140 

WILLIAM  W.  WURTS     ....  "          "        172 

E.  P.  SMITH 204 

GEORGE  A.  WILKINS       ....  242 

F.  F.  REXFORD "         "       272 

WARNER  NEWTON     .....  "          "        302 


Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 


I 


CHAPTER   I 

OBSERVATIONS    IN   A   RURAL   DISTRICT 

WAS  born  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio, 
December  9,  1843,  and  began  going  to 
school  when  I  was  five.  When  in  my 
seventh  year  I  moved  with  my  parents 
to  Mahoning  County,  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen I  went  to  live  with  my  uncle  Elijah 
Shinn,  on  a  farm  in  Goshen  Township. 
About  that  time  my  attention  was  called  to  the 
political  condition  of  the  country,  because  of 
the  radical  change  that  had  recently  taken 
place  in  the  old  parties. 

The  people  in  that  locality  were  of  many 
religious  faiths  and  political  opinions,  among 
whom  were  many  Abolitionists,  who  refused 
to  vote  because  there  was  a  clause  in  the  Con- 
stitution which  permitted  chattel  slavery. 

When  an  effort  was  made  to  admit  the  Ter- 
ritory of  Kansas  into  the  Union  the  contro- 
versy was  so  bitter  that  the  Abolitionists 
showed  a  disposition  to  vote  provided  they 
could  get  some  concession  from  the  Whigs, 
then  under  the  able  leadership  of  the  Hon. 
Joshua  R.  Giddings,  who  conceived  the  plan 
to  form  a  new  party  that  would  admit  them, 


IO         Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

and  also  suit  the  liberal  or  free-State  Demo- 
crats. 

In  1860  Abraham  Lincoln  was  nominated 
Presidential  candidate  by  the  new  party.  The 
demonstrations  in  towns  and  villages  fired  the 
children  in  the  rural  districts  with  a  spirit  of 
patriotism,  a  spirit  to  which  I  was  able  to  con- 
tribute by  driving  to  town  and  purchasing  a 
flag  that  we  were  able  to  raise  on  a  fifty-foot 
pole  in  front  of  the  schoolhouse.  After  the 
election  of  Lincoln,  secession  being  threatened, 
the  probability  of  war  in  the  near  futu(re  was 
much  discussed,  but  there  were  only  a  few 
who  thought  such  a  calamity  would  befall  the 
country.  A  small  per  cent,  however,  thought 
that  a  division  of  States  was  assured  from  the 
fact  that  the  Southern  men  were  accustomed 
to  the  use  of  firearms,  and  that  they  were 
trained  to  the  code  and  followed  the  chase. 

During  the  winter  of  1860  I  was  much  of 
the  time  in  company  with  two  brothers,  who 
took  an  interest  in  the  pending  question  from 
the  fact  that  their  former  schoolmates,  the 
Copic  brothers,  were  members  of  John 
Brown's  company,  and  were  with  him  on 
the  noted  raid  on  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia, 
when  they  took  possession  of  the  United  States 
Arsenal  at  that  place.  One  of  my  com- 
panions had  also  been  in  Kansas  during  the 
border  troubles,  or  '56  war.  Consequently  I 
listened  to  many  stories  of  encounters  that  had 
taken  place  between  the  free-State  men  of 
Kansas  and  the  pro-slavery  party  in  Missouri, 


MKDAI,  OF  HONOR 

This  medal  contains  the  following  words  : 

"  The  Congress  to  Corporal  Isaac  Gause,  Co.  E,  2d  Ohio  Cav.  Vols.. 
for  Gallantry  near  Berryville,  Va.,  September  13,  1864."  It  was 
given  to  Corporal  Gause  on  the  recommendations  of  Generals  Wilson 
and  Mclntosh. 

In  "  Medals  of  Honor,"  a  publication  issued  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment, September  19,  1864,  will  be  found  the  following  in  relation  to 
Mr.  Gause :  "  Corporal,  Co.  E,  2d  Ohio  Cavalry  ;  Action,  near  Berry- 
ville, Va. ;  Date,  September  13.  1864.  Capture  of  the  colors  of  the  8th 
S.  C.  Infantry  while  engaged  in  a  reconnoissance  along  the  Berry- 
ville and  Winchester  pike." 


PACING    9 


Observations  in  a  Rural  District        1 1 

the  details  of  which  gave  me  some  informa- 
tion concerning  the  strategy  that  profitably 
can  be  practiced  in  the  enemy's  country. 

I  will  relate  a  story  that  will  serve  to  show 
how  one  may  be  compelled  to  pay  the  penalty 
of  another's  crime.  This  I  give  as  near  as 
possible  in  my  friend's  language.  He  said: 
"  When  I  made  up  my  mind  to  come  back 
to  Ohio,"  said  he,  "  I  was  in  Wyandotte,  Kan. 
In  order  to  get  to  the  railroad  I  must  travel 
thirty  miles  in  Missouri.  It  was  fatal  for  a 
free-State  or  Kansas  man  to  be  caught  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  so  I  prepared  myself  ac- 
cordingly, and  if  suspected,  I  would  claim  to 
be  a  pro-slavery  man.  I  had  a  full  beard  and 
long  hair,  and  I  put  on  a  white  shirt  for  the 
first  time  in  a  long  while,  then  buckled  on  a 
belt  with  revolver  and  dirk.  I  crossed  the 
Missouri  in  an  unfrequented  place  at  night, 
and  hurried  along  so  as  to  arrive  at  Weston 
to  take  the  train  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. About  three  o'clock,  when  passing  a 
plantation,  a  large  dog,  of  which  every  planter 
kept  one  or  more,  jumped  out  of  the  gate  and 
sprang  at  my  throat,  but  by  catching  him  by 
the  paw  and  giving  it  a  sudden  wrench  I  pre- 
vented him  from  getting  hold.  To  prevent 
making  a  noise  I  drew  the  knife,  and  after 
a  desperate  struggle  I  killed  him.  I  imme- 
diately left  the  road  in  order  to  cover  my  trail, 
for  if  the  planter  should  follow  and  overtake 
me  I  would  meet  the  fate  of  my  victim.  When 
I  came  to  a  creek  about  daylight  I  washed 


12          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  blood  off,  leaving  a  stain  on  one  cuff  of 
my  shirt.  It  was  about  sunrise  when  I  ar- 
rived at  Weston  and  sat  down  in  the  waiting- 
room.  Soon  after,  on  looking  out,  I  saw  a 
party  ride  toward  the  depot.  It  was  evident 
they  were  in  haste,  and  thinking  they  were  in 
search  of  a  runaway  slave  I  gave  the  incident 
little  attention  until  they  dismounted,  came  on 
the  platform,  and  began  looking  about  the 
depot.  Finally,  one  of  them  walked  up, 
reached  out  his  arm,  saying  at  the  same 
time,  *  Ain't  this  our  man?'  Thinking  he 
wanted  to  shake  hands,  I  reached  out  mine, 
and  so  uncovered  the  stained  cuff.  Before 
there  was  time  to  think,  they  covered  me  with 
two  revolvers  and  dragged  me  out  and  ad- 
justed the  rope  for  my  neck.  There  was  no 
time  allowed  for  explanation,  as  they  were 
wild  with  excitement.  One  of  them,  however, 
more  cool  than  the  others,  insisted  that  they 
had  the  wrong  man.  But  the  others  said, 
'  Here  is  the  stain  on  his  cuff,  and  the  rascal 
has  tried  to  wash  it  off.'  '  No,'  he  said,  i  I 
know  the  man  that  killed  Bill.'  The  last  re- 
mark explained  matters  sufficient  for  me  to 
catch  my  breath,  inasmuch  as  I  thought  they 
were  going  to  hang  me  for  killing  the  dog 
during  the  night.  When  an  explanation  about 
the  stain  was  given,  they  apologized  for  the 
rough  treatment  and  rode  away." 

The  many  stories,  combined  with  the  in- 
creasing animosity  constantly  agitated  by  the 
press,  convinced  me  that  nothing  short  of  war 


Observations  In  a  Rural  District         13 

would  settle  the  political  differences  between 
the  North  and  South.  At  that  time  it  would 
have  been  considered  presumptuous  to  inti- 
mate that  I  could  engage  in  any  way  in  the 
struggle,  although  my  mind  was  made  up 
from  the  time  Brooks  of  South  Carolina 
struck  Sumner  of  Massachusetts  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  that  should  war  be  declared  I 
would  bear  my  part  in  one  capacity  or  an- 
other. It  was  my  secret,  however,  until  the 
war  was  in  full  progress  and  the  President 
had  made  the  second  call  for  troops.  As  no 
opportunity  presented  itself  for  me  to  enlist 
in  the  cavalry,  I  formed  a  plan  to  go  away 
with  a  neighbor  boy  and  enlist  in  the  infantry. 
But  we  were  both  under  the  care  of  guardians, 
and  our  plan  by  some  chance  became  known 
and  was  thwarted  by  them. 

My  uncle,  having  been  raised  a  Quaker  and 
being  of  a  very  mild  disposition,  had  seldom 
spoken  in  a  positive  manner.  I  had  lived  with 
him  four  years,  and  that  was  the  first  time 
he  had  refused  to  let  me  have  my  own  way, 
although  the  previous  requests  had  not  been 
of  an  important  nature. 

One  evening  in  August  my  aunt  read  an 
article  from  the  Mahonlng  County  Register, 
stating  that  Professor  Hall  was  recruiting  a 
company  in  Canfield,  to  join  what  was  to  be 
known  as  Wade  and  Hutchins's  cavalry.  The 
names  of  the  enlisted  men  were  attached  to 
the  article.  There  were  four  with  whom  I 
was  slightly  acquainted,  one  a  former  school- 


14         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

mate,  of  whom  mention  will  be  made  in  the 
future.  My  mind  was  made  up  at  once.  I 
would  go,  let  come  what  would.  I  had  al- 
ways had  one  or  more  horses  at  my  command 
from  the  time  I  could  mount  one  from  a 
stump  or  fence  corner,  for  I  was  fond  of  a 
good  horse,  and  delighted  to  run  races  with 
my  associates  whenever  meeting  them,  whether 
going  or  coming  from  fairs,  camp-meetings, 
and  so  on,  and  I  had  had  many  adventures 
and  some  narrow  escapes.  The  next  Saturday 
there  was  another  article  in  the  paper  that  my 
aunt  also  read  to  me.  It  stated  that  Captain 
Hall's  company  had  nearly  its  complement  of 
men  and  would  depart  from  Canfield  to  join 
their  regiment  at  Camp  Wade,  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  on  the  following  Tuesday.  That  was 
short  notice  for  one  who  had  made  no  arrange- 
ments. But,  being  fully  determined,  I  set 
about  formulating  my  plans.  There  were 
many  things  to  be  taken  into  consideration, 
many  of  which  had  been  crudely  revolved  in 
my  mind,  but  with  no  definite  conclusion  as 
to  the  result  of  any  of  them.  My  uncle  and 
aunt  were  my  guardians,  and  were  the  same 
as  father  and  mother  to  me.  I  could  not  have 
loved  them  better  had  they  been  such  in  fact. 
My  home  was  equal  to  the  best  of  my  asso- 
ciates', and  to  break  my  family  ties  was  no 
small  concern  to  me.  Besides,  I  was  bound 
by  a  contract  between  my  mother  and  uncle 
to  remain  with  them  until  I  was  eighteen,  and 
I  would  not  be  eighteen  till  the  9th  of  the 


Observations  in  a  Rural  District         15 

next  December.  Moreover,  by  breaking  the 
contract  I  would  forfeit  all  the  financial  bene- 
fit that  had  accrued  to  me  by  the  last  four 
years'  labor.  At  the  expiration  of  my  time 
my  uncle  was  to  pay  me  one  hundred  dollars, 
give  me  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle,  and  a  new 
suit  of  clothes.  As  at  that  time  the  aggregate 
of  this  was  equal  to  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars,  it  was  considered  a  very  fair  start 
in  life  for  one  at  my  age.  It  did  not  occur 
to  me  there  would  be  another  chance  to  go 
into  the  cavalry,  and  therefore  I  thought  to 
myself,  now  is  the  time  to  go. 

The  worst  of  all  was  to  leave  without  the 
consent  of  uncle  and  aunt.     Weary  with  my 

fonderings,  sleep  overtook  me,  and  next  day 
went  to  church.  As  soon  as  the  service  was 
ended  I  collected  my  associates,  and  we  went 
to  the  woods  for  a  council.  I  told  them  all 
about  the  cavalry  company,  and  that  we 
should  all  go  together  and  enlist,  but  there 
was  no  response  from  them.  After  describing 
the  difference  between  the  cavalryman  and 
the  infantry,  those  that  must  plod  through 
mud  and  snow,  I  gave  up  the  task  and  started 
home.  On  the  way  I  met  some  young  men 
that  consented  to  go  with  me.  The  next  thing 
to  do  was  to  notify  my  uncle.  After  sitting 
down  to  dinner  I  told  them  what  my  mind 
was  made  up  to  do.  To  my  surprise  and 
gratification  my  uncle  said,  "  If  he  thinks  he 
must  go  I  will  take  him  to  Canfield  to-morrow 
and  let  him  enlist."  Much  gratified  to  think 


1 6          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

there  was  no  opposition  from  this  source  my 
arrangements  were  made  accordingly. 

On  Monday  morning,  when  the  work  had 
been  done  as  usual,  I  made  preparation  to  go, 
but  it  began  to  rain  and  my  uncle  did  not  want 
to  take  his  carriage  out.  But  rain  was  no  ob- 
stacle in  my  way,  and  I  walked  over  to  the 
home  of  my  neighbor,  who  was  presumably 
to  be  my  future  companion,  and  found  him 
putting  the  saddle  on  his  horse.  When  he  saw 
the  way  I  was  situated,  he  hitched  the  horse 
to  a  buggy  and  drove  over  to  get  our  other 
man.  He  had  made  no  arrangements  to  go, 
so  we  drove  to  Canfield,  put  the  horse  in  the 
stable  at  the  Bostwick  House,  and  here  we 
met  those  with  whom  we  were  acquainted, 
among  them  George  A.  Wilkins.  With  a  cor- 
dial greeting,  he  shook  hands  and  asked, 
"Well,  are  you  going  with  us?"  "  I  surely 
am,"  I  replied,  "  if  there  is  room  for  one 
more  on  the  rolls."  "  Come  right  in  here,"  he 
said,  and  then  addressing  the  sergeant,  he  con- 
tinued, "  Here  is  another  one  to  add  to  the 
list."  "  How  old  are  you?"  asked  the  ser- 
geant. "  Eighteen,  of  course,"  Wilkins  re- 
plied, and  down  went  my  name. 


CHAPTER   II 

CAMP  LIFE  AT  CLEVELAND 

WE  went  to  the  Meeker  House,  where 
the  men  were  selecting  the  horses 
they  were  to  ride  in  the  service. 
Those  horses  that  had  been  in- 
spected and  accepted  by  the  government  in- 
spector stood  in  stalls  in  the  long  stables,  and 
the  many  horse-dealers  that  had  horses  to  sell 
occupied  the  open  sheds  on  an  adjoining  lot, 
each  with  a  bunch  that  he  was  anxious  to  dis- 
pose of.  After  inspecting  three  or  four  lots 
without  finding  one  to  suit  me,  I  passed  on  to 
another,  and  there  found  one.  The  owner 
said,  "  You  know  a  good  horse  when  you  see 
it,  but  that  one  does  not  come  up  to  the  stand- 
ard height;  it  has  been  inspected  and  re- 
jected on  that  account.  She  is  the  best  animal 
in  the  stable  and  can  outrun  anything  in  the 
county,  but  she  is  nervous  and  unreliable  in 
harness.  If  you  can  get  her  accepted,  you 
will  be  the  best  mounted  man  in  the  com- 
pany." He  put  the  saddle  on  the  mare  and 
brought  her  out.  She  was  anxious  to  go,  and 
every  motion  was  as  quick  as  a  cat,  and  when 
I  lit  in  the  saddle  she  shot  out  of  the  stable  like 
an  arrow.  After  galloping  up  and  down  the 
street  and  turning  short  on  the  slippery  plank 

17 


1 8         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

pavement  to  the  delight  of  the  bystanders  and 
to  my  own  satisfaction,  I  rode  to  the  stable. 
"  Now,"  he  said,  "  you  tell  the  inspector  that 
if  he  does  not  accept  this  mare  you  will  not 
go  with  the  company."  I  carried  out  his  in- 
structions, and  after  much  quibbling  and  hesi- 
tation, and  by  the  earnest  request  of  the  by- 
standers who  had  witnessed  my  horsemanship, 
the  animal  was  accepted  and  "  U.  S."  branded 
upon  her. 

After  dinner  we  returned  home  and  made 
hasty  preparation  for  my  departure.  The 
next  morning  I  mounted  a  horse  at  daybreak 
and  rode  to  Damascus,  a  distance  of  three 
miles,  my  cousin  having  gone  there  to  stay  all 
night  with  friends,  and  driven  the  horse  and 
carriage  that  was  wanted  to  take  me  to  Can- 
field.  As  soon  as  we  had  breakfast  we  went 
home  and  found  that  my  uncle  had  changed 
his  mind.  He  wanted  to  sell  a  horse  and  con- 
cluded to  go  on  horseback.  It  was  fourteen 
miles  to  Canfield  and  the  company  would 
leave  at  ten  o'clock,  so  we  hurried  away  as 
soon  as  possible  after  taking  leave  of  those  I 
might  not  see  soon  again.  When  we  had  rid- 
den about  three  miles  we  were  overtaken  by 
a  horse-buyer  who  wanted  artillery  horses.  I 
galloped  the  one  I  was  riding  up  and  down 
the  road  to  show  him  off  to  the  best  advantage. 
The  trade  was  soon  made  by  the  dealer  ad- 
vancing my  uncle  five  dollars  with  instruc- 
tions to  deliver  the  horse  at  Salem  the  follow- 
ing Monday. 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  19 

When  within  a  mile  of  Canfield  my  uncle 
said  he  was  tired,  as  he  was  not  used  to  riding, 
and  would  like  to  return  if  I  was  satisfied  to 
walk.  We  dismounted,  and  after  an  affec- 
tionate leave-taking,  I  walked  toward  town, 
while  he  rode  in  the  opposite  direction.  We 
were  scarcely  out  of  sight  of  each  other  when 
the  cannon  began  to  boom  the  farewell  salute 
to  the  company  as  it  departed  for  Youngs- 
town,  where  they  were  to  embark  by  rail.  I 
soon  met  one  of  my  neighbor  boys  who  had 
ridden  over  to  see  the  company  start.  When 
I  explained  to  him  my  dilemma,  he  rode  into 
town  to  make  some  arrangement  by  which  I 
could  get  to  Youngstown.  The  streets  were 
deserted  and  the  houses  closed,  with  but  a  few 
people  to  represent  the  place.  Every  avail- 
able horse  and  harness  had  been  put  into  use 
to  take  the  company  and  its  friends  to  Youngs- 
town.  But  it  so  happened  that  one  doctor  had 
one  more  buggy  than  horse,  which  his  wife 
graciously  loaned  us.  We  found  an  old 
breast-strap,  and  by  using  ropes  for  traces, 
were  enabled  to  hitch  my  friend's  horse;  but 
as  there  were  no  holdback  straps,  we  had  to 
get  out  and  hold  the  buggy  back  going  down 
hill.  We  arrived  at  our  destination  just  in 
time  for  dinner.  The  scene  was  to  me  a  new 
and  novel  one.  A  vast  crowd  had  gathered 
around  the  hotel  where  the  dinner  had  been 
prepared  and  placed  on  a  long  table  for  the 
company.  It  was  so  closely  packed  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  gain  an  entrance. 


2O          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

My  friend  interceded  for  me,  and  told  them 
that  here  was  a  member  of  the  company  who 
had  been  left  behind  and  wanted  dinner  be- 
fore train-time.  That  was  all  that  was  nec- 
essary, as  everyone  was  anxious  to  show 
gratitude  to  the  soldier.  As  word  passed 
along,  "  Here  is  one,  let  him  in,"  we  finally 
managed  to  reach  the  table.  After  the  dinner 
was  concluded,  the  people  gathered  around 
the  empty  cars  by  the  already  overcrowded 
platform.  These  cars  were  destined  to  take 
us  away,  and  it  was  announced  that  it  was  time 
to  board  the  train.  I  walked  around  to  the 
opposite  side,  where  I  could  gain  the  step  to 
the  car  without  coming  in  contact  with  the 
crowd,  and  there,  with  a  hearty  handshake, 
and  many  thanks  for  the  assistance  he  had 
rendered  me,  I  took  leave  of  my  friend,  to 
meet  him  again  more  than  a  year  afterward 
on  his  deathbed. 

When  I  entered  the  car  the  scene  that  met 
my  eye  was  heartrending  indeed.  There  were 
fathers,  mothers,  brothers,  sisters,  and  wives 
with  tears  and  sobs,  taking,  for  aught  they 
knew,  their  last  leave  of  their  dear  ones  who 
were  going  to  combat  in  what  was  destined 
to  be  a  long  and  bloody  struggle.  My  atten- 
tion was  called  to  one  group  in  particular, 
owing  to  its  peculiar  variance  from  the  others. 
A  middle-aged  couple,  whose  attire  would 
indicate  that  they  were  poor  people,  stood  at 
one  end  of  the  car,  and  as  the  woman  handed 
her  husband  some  small  token,  she  said: 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  21 

"  Remember  me,  when  this  you  see, 
Though  many  miles  apart  we  be." 

Then,  with  a  fond  embrace,  and  tears  rolling 
down  her  face,  she  boo-hooed,  and  left  the  car. 

When  the  train  pulled  out,  its  occupants 
consisted  of  the  company,  and  a  few  of  the 
most  influential  men  from  Canfield  and 
Youngstown  who  wanted  to  see  their  friends 
safely  in  camp.  Now  that  we  were  away  from 
the  women,  the  flask  became  a  frequent  visi- 
tor. I  was  in  a  car  whose  occupants  were 
entire  strangers  to  me,  but  it  was  not  long  until 
my  friends,  who  had  not  time  to  think  of  me 
before,  came  in  search  of  me,  and  with  hard 
persuasion  succeeded  in  getting  me  to  take 
the  first  drink  of  liquor  that  ever  passed  my 
lips.  The  most  of  them  became  jolly  as  the 
train  moved  along,  and  it  was  a  great  contrast 
from  the  hours  before.  I  thought,  how  easily 
and  soon  they  forget! 

We  arrived  at  Cleveland  about  sundown, 
and  when  we  were  out  of  the  cars  the  captain 
ordered  us  to  fall  in  line.  I  had  never  been 
in  line,  and  had  seen  but  one  company  of 
recruits  march.  We  crossed  the  Cuyahoga 
River  and  marched  up  a  long  hill.  It  was 
awkward  work  for  me,  but  I  managed  to  step 
on  the  heels  of  the  man  in  front  as  often  as 
the  man  behind  me  trod  on  mine.  We  ar- 
rived at  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  we  found 
preparations  going  on  for  our  reception.  By 
details  from  companies  the  eleven  tents  had 
been  stretched,  and  there  was  a  colored  cook 


22          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

for  each  mess.  Supper  was  almost  ready. 
Our  tables  consisted  of  forked  sticks  about 
four  feet  long  set  in  the  ground  for  legs,  with 
short  poles  from  fork  to  fork,  on  which  rested 
two  boards  twelve  inches  wide  and  about 
twelve  feet  long.  Each  cook  had  a  tent  called 
"  the  cook-tent "  for  him  to  sleep  in,  and  to 
store  away  the  rations.  After  supper  the  as- 
signment to  the  different  messes  began,  but 
most  of  these  had  been  done  by  mutual  con- 
sent before  leaving  Canfield.  There  were 
four  or  five  of  us,  however,  that  were  on  the 
stray  list,  we  either  having  no  acquaintance 
with  the  others  or  not  having  had  time  to 
make  arrangements.  The  different  messes 
went  by  the  name  of  the  town  in  which  the 
men  lived;  as,  the  Salem  mess;  Canfield  mess; 
Youngstown  mess,  Girard,  Nilestown,  Board- 
man,  Jackson.  All  of  my  acquaintances  were 
in  the  Salem  mess,  and  as  they  had  only  ten 
men  I  was  invited  to  join  them.  They  soon 
found  another  young  man,  Frank  Ackley, 
about  my  age  and  size,  to  be  my  "  bunky," 
and  to  complete  the  required  number  for  the 
mess.  We  each  then  drew  a  single  blanket, 
and  I  lay  down  in  a  tent  for  the  first  time  in 
my  life.  My  bunky,  like  myself,  was  igno- 
rant of  camp  life,  and  had  come  without  any 
bedding,  therefore  we  were  not  so  comfort- 
ably fixed  as  some  of  our  comrades  who 
brought  quilts  and  blankets  with  them.  The 
ground  seemed  very  hard,  and  we  turned  over 
often  during  that  first  night.  In  the  morning 


FRANKLIN  ACKLEY 

Corporal,  Co.  E.  Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  23 

we  began  to  look  about  to  learn  something  of 
our  surroundings.  We  learned  that  our  com- 
pany was  the  last  of  twelve  to  arrive  in  camp, 
but  that  some  of  them  did  not  have  their  full 
quota  and  therefore  could  not  muster,  al- 
though they  occupied  their  place  in  camp. 

Professor  Hall  had  opened  the  rolls  for  en- 
listment on  August  loth,  and  recruited  the 
first  man  for  the  regiment.  We  considered 
him  captain  and  accordingly  elected  him  as 
such,  with  Bales  Fawcet  for  first  lieutenant, 
and  Peter  L.  Rush  for  second  lieutenant. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  fault  found  with 
Captain  Hall's  conduct  and  management  of 
the  company,  but  his  selection  of  non-com- 
missioned officers  showed  his  judgment  was 
good  in  that  respect.  It  saved  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  in  the  future,  with  Warner  Newton 
for  first  sergeant,  a  man  with  executive  ability 
to  command  a  brigade;  Dan  Arnold  for 
quartermaster  sergeant,  who  had  some  experi- 
ence in  that  line,  having  been  with  Walker's 
expedition  across  the  plains  some  years  before. 
The  other  non-commissioned  officers  were  the 
best  men  in  the  company,  though  none  had 
any  military  knowledge  except  Corporal 
William  H.  Arnold,  and  he  had  been  in  the 
three  months'  service  and  was  at  the  battle  of 
Manassas  Junction. 

Two  days  after  we  arrived  in  camp  our 
horses,  which  had  been  brought  on  foot,  were 
tied  to  a  picket  rope  on  the  flats  between 
Camp  Wade  and  the  Cuyahoga  River,  where 


24         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

they  were  taken  care  of  by  a  detail  termed 
"  horse  guards "  until  late  in  the  fall.  At 
Camp  Wade  there  was  also  camped  a  battery 
of  artillery  and  a  small  detachment  of  Ohio 
boys  enlisted  for  the  noted  Jim  Lane's  com- 
mand in  Kansas.  It  was  in  that  detachment 
that  the  first  fatality  occurred  at  Camp  Wade. 
The  boys  had  been  furnished  with  guns  and 
used  them  when  on  camp  duty.  There  were 
two  brothers  who  slept  together.  One  of 
them,  when  on  camp  guard  just  behind  the 
tent  where  his  brother  then  lay,  saw  a  cat  cross 
the  beat  on  which  he  was  walking.  He  at- 
tempted to  kill  it,  and  at  the  noise  of  the  gun 
everyone  was  awakened  in  the  vicinity.  His 
brother  cried  out,  "  I  am  shot!"  His  com- 
rade told  him  to  go  to  sleep,  and  said,  "  You 
have  been  dreaming  of  battle,  and  when  you 
heard  that  shot  it  awoke  you."  At  first  he 
thought  they  were  right,  and  he  tried  to  go 
to  sleep.  As  he  attempted  to  turn  over,  how- 
ever, he  put  his  hand  into  a  pool  of  blood.  He 
told  his  companion,  a  light  was  brought,  and 
it  was  found  that  the  ball  had  passed  through 
his  body.  He  died  at  seven  the  next  morning. 

The  first  week  passed  away  without  any 
unusual  event  in  the  Second  Ohio;  the  time 
of  the  trooper  was  fully  occupied,  and,  since 
I  had  left  home  on  short  notice,  I  was  anxious 
to  return  for  a  visit  to  assure  my  friends  that 
I  did  not  regret  what  I  had  done. 

The  location  of  Camp  Wade  was  on  Uni- 
versity Heights,  a  high  plateau  situated  south 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  2$ 

of  the  Cuyahoga  River.  The  Heights  con- 
sisted of  several  hundred  acres  of  land  cov- 
ered with  grass,  sloping  to  the  southeast,  and 
bounded  on  the  south  by  the  University.  Our 
camp  was  located  on  the  north  side  of  the 
plateau  overlooking  the  city,  the  suburbs  of 
which  extended  out  to  the  University  on  the 
west  side  of  the  plateau.  The  open  ground 
for  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile  was  used  for 
drill  and  parade  ground,  and  was  a  popular 
resort  for  pleasure  seekers. 

There  was  a  continual  stream  of  visitors, 
excursions,  and  picnics  from  the  counties  and 
towns  where  the  companies  were  recruited. 
Soon  after  the  uniforms  were  issued  we  had  a 
review  and  a  dress  parade,  and  a  flag  was  pre- 
sented by  the  ladies  of  Cleveland  to  the  Sec- 
ond Cavalry.  The  ceremony  took  place  in 
front  of  the  University,  where  the  regiment 
formed  in  hollow  square.  The  presentation 
was  made  by  one  of  Cleveland's  fair  daugh- 
ters. To  the  presentation  address  a  fitting 
response  was  offered.  The  regiment  was 
pledged  not  only  to  defend  that  banner  of 
silk  and  gold,  but  to  carry  it  on  wings  of  vic- 
tory into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country. 
Then  three  cheers  were  given,  patriotic  songs 
were  sung,  the  band  gave  its  choicest  selection, 
and  the  companies  were  marched  to  quarters 
and  disbanded. 

Everything  went  along  lovely  until  Novem- 
ber, when  the  cold  north  winds  swept  down 
across  Lake  Erie  and  struck  Camp  Wade  a 


26         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

broadsider  that  made  the  tents  totter  and  the 
teeth  of  the  trooper  chatter.  The  elevated  spot 
that  had  been  so  pleasant  during  the  autumn 
months  had  now  to  be  abandoned  for  a  better 
protected  one.  By  the  recent  rains  the  flats 
had  become  soft  and  the  horses  were  standing 
in  mud  up  to  their  knees,  and  many  sickened 
and  died.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  move 
to  the  old  fair  ground,  known  by  the  name  of 
"  Camp  Taylor." 

With  no  horse  equipments  but  rope  halters 
we  mounted  bareback  and  marched  through 
the  streets  of  Cleveland  to  the  new  camp. 
The  horses,  glad  to  be  liberated  from  their 
muddy  prison,  pranced  and  jumped  about, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  keep  them  in  any- 
thing like  a  column. 

The  change  in  some  respects  was  good  for 
man  and  beast,  or  at  least  it  was  until  the  rains 
set  in  again,  and  then  it  was  worse  than  Camp 
Wade,  for  there  the  horses  were  kept  away 
from  camp,  so  that  we  were  not  constantly 
kept  in  mind  of  their  suffering.  But  in  the 
new  camp  they  were  tied  in  front  of  the  tents, 
and  they  tramped  and  lashed  the  mud  until 
everything  for  rods  around  was  covered 
with  it.  It  was  discouraging  indeed  to  the 
trooper  on  duty  to  go  on  guard  and  walk  back 
and  forth  by  a  string  of  horses  for  two  hours, 
then  go  into  the  tent  and  lie  down  in  wet 
clothes  for  four  hours,  alternately  during  the 
whole  day. 

To  do  justice  to  the  regiment,  it  is  necessary 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  27 

to  give  a  better  explanation  of  the  mount  and 
its  treatment.  Our  horses  were  the  best  that 
could  be  selected  from  the  stables  of  northern 
Ohio.  Each  man  was  permitted  to  choose 
his  own  horse,  sell  it  to  the  Government,  and 
retain  it  for  his  mount.  This  brought  out  the 
choice  horses  from  each  neighborhood.  Many 
of  them  were  worth  more  than  the  established 
Government  price,  the  difference  being  at  the 
trooper's  expense,  and  he  was  willing  to  sac- 
rifice the  money  in  order  to  have  his  favorite 
animal.  The  treatment  the  horses  received 
was,  for  some  unaccountable  reason,  without 
doubt  cruel,  and  for  which  cruelty  those  who 
were  responsible  have  need  to  be  forgiven. 
A  man  had  to  depend  on  his  faithful  animal 
and  companion  to  carry  his  burden  on  the 
long,  weary  march,  and  in  the  brilliant  charge 
they  were  destined  to  carry  the  Second  Ohio 
Cavalry.  While  we  were  at  Camp  Wade  the 
horses  were  picketed  on  the  flats  in  open 
ground  with  no  care  but  feed  and  water  twice 
a  day.  The  rations  of  forage  were  scant,  and 
were  strewn  on  the  ground  for  the  poor  ani- 
mals to  scatter  and  waste,  while  they  would 
kick  and  strike  and  bite  at  each  other,  crip- 
pling, and  spreading  disease  from  which 
many  died.  After  we  moved  to  Camp  Tay- 
lor it  was  a  daily  occurrence  to  see  one  or 
more  carcasses  drawn  out  of  the  hospital, 
where  they  were  under  the  care  of  veterinary 
surgeons,  after  having  been  reported  unserv- 
iceable. Fresh  horses  were  daily  bought  by 


28          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  quartermaster  to  take  their  place,  so  that 
when  the  order  came,  about  the  ist  of  Decem- 
ber, for  the  regiment  to  report  at  Camp  Den- 
nison,  there  were  enough  horses  to  give  each 
trooper  his  mount.  During  the  month  of  No- 
vember we  had  been  furnished  with  a  com- 
plete set  of  horse  equipments.  When  the 
weather  would  admit  we  went  to  the  commons 
north  of  the  camp  and  went  through  with  the 
mounted  drill,  and  this  furnished  recreation 
from  the  now  dreary  and  loathsome  camp. 

We  received  our  first  pay,  all  in  coin,  and 
this  was  a  red  letter  day  indeed.  Many  had 
been  entirely  without  money  for  three  months, 
and  could  not  even  write  a  letter  without  bor- 
rowing the  material. 

About  December  ist  an  order  was  received 
for  the  regiment  to  report  to  Camp  Dennison 
forthwith ;  but  "  forthwith "  is  about  nine 
days  with  a  raw  cavalry  regiment  that  has 
been  accumulating  all  kinds  of  articles  too  nu- 
merous to  mention.  Now  there  were  great  and 
new  events  in  store  for  the  Second  Ohio  Cav- 
alry, that  caused  the  monotonous  and  grew- 
some  scenes  of  Camp  Taylor  to  slip  from 
memory. 

On  the  night  of  the  ist  of  December  I  was 
on  camp  guard,  and  my  beat  was  between  the 
string  of  miscellaneous  horses  and  the  high 
fence  that  closed  the  fair  ground.  It  was  a 
cold  and  rainy  night,  and  I  was  drenched  to 
the  skin,  my  boots  were  full  of  water,  and  my 
new  cavalry  overcoat  was  covered  with  mud 


Camp  Life  at  Cleveland  29 

splashed  there  by  the  horses  as  they  plunged 
about.  The  boards  that  had  been  thrown  down 
for  us  to  walk  on  were  all  afloat.  The  close 
proximity  of  the  horses  to  the  fence  made 
this  a  favorite  place  for  the  boys  that  were 
in  the  habit  of  running  the  guard  to  make  their 
exit  to  the  street.  For  that  purpose  there  had 
been  one  board  knocked  off  from  the  fence, 
and  just  as  day  was  breaking  a  man  made  his 
appearance  at  the  opening.  Our  instructions 
were  to  converse  with  no  one  while  on  duty, 
but  as  there  was  no  danger  of  being  seen  by 
anyone,  I  ventured  into  a  conversation  with 
him.  He  produced  a  pint  flask  and  offered 
it  to  me.  I  declined,  saying,  "  I  do  not  drink." 
But  he  urged  me.  "  You  are  wet  and  cold 
and  it  will  do  you  good."  So  I  took  a  pretty 
good  draught.  Having  informed  him  that 
we  were  ordered  away,  he  appeared  much 
grieved,  for  he  had  become  much  attached  to 
some  of  the  boys  that  frequented  his  house. 
Producing  the  flask  frequently,  he  took  a  large 
drink  each  time,  and  it  did  not  appear  to  have 
any  effect  on  him.  Although  drinking  but 
little,  I  began  to  feel  quite  jolly,  and  before 
the  relief  came  I  had  forgotten  the  misery  of 
the  poor  animals  and  was  endeavoring  to 
keep  them  quiet  by  slapping  them  with  the 
dummy  gun  furnished  to  arm  the  guard  with. 
Preparation  for  moving  began  from  the 
moment  the  notice  was  given  until  the  morn- 
ing of  our  departure,  there  being  some 
changes  to  make,  such  as  shipping  surplus 


30         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

baggage,  writing  letters,  and  so  on.  Notice 
was  served  that  transportation  would  be  fur- 
nished for  but  one  man,  who  would  be  known 
as  "  company  cook."  In  Company  E  each 
mess  wanted  to  retain  its  man  to  occupy  the 
position,  but  the  seniority  rule  prevailed,  and 
the  old  man,  Munson,  having  done  the  hon- 
ors for  mess  No.  i,  was  retained,  and  was 
proud  of  his  position.  He  superintended  the 
packing  and  caring  for  the  private  property 
of  his  old  mess  as  long  as  he  remained  with 
the  company,  not  leaving  until  after  the  In- 
dian expedition  returned  to  Fort  Scott. 


CHAPTER   III 

WINTER  QUARTERS  AT  CAMP  DENNISON 

ON  the  morning  of  the  pth  of  December, 
1861,  we  left  our  snow-covered  tents, 
packed  our  blankets,  saddled  up,  and 
at  ten  o'clock  took  up  the  line  of 
march  for  the  depot.  It  was  the  first  time  the 
regiment  had  been  on  the  move,  mounted, 
equipped,  and  in  uniform.  Twelve  hundred 
and  forty  men  with  blue  overcoats  on  chafing 
steeds  passed  down  the  snow-covered  streets 
of  Cleveland;  the  band,  mounted  on  gray 
horses,  led  the  way,  playing  "  The  Star 
Spangled  Banner."  Then  came  Colonel 
Doubleday,  as  fine  a  figure  as  ever  sat  in  a 
saddle,  with  his  staff  officers,  in  their  dress 
uniforms,  and  with  finely  equipped  steeds. 
Following  in  regular  order  came  the  com- 
panies. When  the  shades  of  night  came  over 
Cleveland,  we  were  speeding  our  way  south 
about  as  fast  as  steam  could  carry  us.  Every- 
one rejoiced  to  know  that  we  would  escape  the 
severe  winter  of  the  North,  which  had  now 
fairly  set  in,  and  as  the  train  glided  along 
through  towns,  villages,  and  country,  we  fell 
asleep  in  our  seats.  About  four  o'clock  the 
next  day  we  arrived  at  Camp  Dennison,  which 
is  situated  on  the  Little  Miami  River,  six- 
si 


32          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

teen  miles  from  Cincinnati,  and  a  few  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  hills.  The  camp  was  situated  on 
a  level  valley  about  one  and  a  half  miles  wide 
and  two  miles  long. 

It  had  been  raining,  and  when  we  arrived 
at  the  depot  the  valley  looked  like  a  lake ;  but 
we  plunged  through  it,  and  were  soon  quar- 
tered in  barracks  with  kitchen  and  dining- 
room  large  enough  to  seat  one-half  of  the 
company  at  one  time.  And  then  we  were 
given  our  first  lesson  in  cooking,  being  de- 
tailed in  turn  to  assist  the  company  cook. 
There  were  fifteen  thousand  troops  there, 
drilling  and  equipping  for  active  service,  and 
among  them  the  Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry.  The 
companies  having  been  recruited  in  the  same 
counties  from  which  the  Second  had  come, 
most  every  trooper  met  a  relative  or  school- 
mate, and  the  two  regiments  were  sometimes 
called  the  half-brothers. 

It  was  in  these  old  barracks  that  I  became 
involved  in  a  controversy  with  one  of  my 
mess-mates.  My  bunkv  and  I  both  having 
learned  to  smoke,  one  cold,  rainy  day  when  he 
was  on  guard,  the  stem  in  my  pipe  being 
broken,  I  took  his  and  sat  smoking,  when  he 
came  in  wet  and  cold.  That  put  him  out  of 
humor  and  he  said  some  bad  things  about  the 
man  who  had  stolen  his  pipe.  Good- 
naturedly,  I  asked  him  to  take  back  what  he 
had  said.  But  he  went  further,  and  without 
a  second  thought  we  got  together.  I  gave  him 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     33 

such  a  thrashing  that  he  called  enough,  and 
we  got  up,  shook  hands,  and  never  mentioned 
the  affair  again. 

We  were  quartered  in  the  old  barracks  but 
a  few  days  when  the  carpenters  finished  large 
and  commodious  barracks,  with  room  enough 
to  house  one  company  in  each,  and  they  com- 
pleted comfortable  stables  for  the  horses  a 
few  days  later.  The  mud  had  dried  up  by 
this  time,  and  we  were  put  through  the 
mounted  drill  every  day.  Our  company  had 
two  men  that  took  "  French  leave,"  and  it  was 
here  the  first  man  of  our  regiment  was  killed 
by  gunshot.  One  day,  while  drilling,  a  com- 
pany was  making  a  left  wheel  at  a  gallop,  and 
swung  around  in  front  of  a  battery  at  the  in- 
stant the  gunner  received  orders  to  fire.  The 
battery  was  at  target  practice,  and  the  gun  was 
loaded  with  solid  shot  that  carried  one  of  the 
troopers  out  of  the  saddle  and  killed  him 
instantly. 

At  Camp  Dennison  our  mess  lost  one  mem- 
ber, which  made  the  third.  At  an  election 
Bales  R.  Fawcet  was  chosen  lieutenant.  J.  C. 
Sheets  was  transferred  to  headquarters,  Kin. 
Miller,  trumpeter,  exchanged  places  with  C. 
C.  McCane,  Miller  going  to  the  Sixth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Cavalry,  and  McCane  coming  to 
the  Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry. 

Patrols  and  scouting  parties  were  sent  out 
daily  to  accustom  the  officers  and  men  for  the 
duty  they  were  soon  to  do  in  the  field,  and 
they  were  taught  to  pick  up  the  men  that  ran 


34         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  guard  and  bring  them  into  camp.  Up  to 
this  time  we  had  no  arms  of  any  kind.  When 
the  orders  came  for  the  Second  Ohio  to  send 
a  scouting  party  to  Warsaw,  Kentucky,  to  dis- 
perse a  band  of  bushwhackers  that  were  depre- 
dating in  that  locality,  Captain  Welch,  who 
was  detailed  to  command  the  detachment,  had 
to  borrow  guns  and  revolvers  from  the  post 
ordnance  officer.  Boxing  gloves  were  pur- 
chased and  sparring  indulged  in,  and  we  had 
some  sailors  who  were  well  up  in  the  art,  and 
we  witnessed  some  very  fine  trapeze  and 
dumbbell  exercises.  We  were  taught,  also, 
the  art  of  evading  sentinels,  and  the  advan- 
tages a  mounted  man  can  take  over  the  dis- 
mounted man,  and  many  other  of  the  arts  of 
war.  It  was  at  this  camp  I  saw  the  first  soldier 
buried  with  military  honors. 

There  was  another  incident  that  occurred 
here  that  cast  a  gloom  over  the  whole  regi- 
ment. One  morning  the  musicians  had  taken 
their  horses  from  the  stable  and  tied  them  to 
a  rail  fence.  The  ground  was  frozen,  but  the 
morning  was  bright  and  clear,  and  the  horses 
felt  the  effects  of  the  warm  sun,  and  in  caper- 
ing about,  pulled  the  fence  down.  This 
frightened  them,  and  one  of  them  ran  with 
such  force  that  a  heavy  rail  to  which  he  was 
tied  struck  his  rider  on  the  head,  crushing  his 
skull.  He  lived  but  a  few  hours  afterward, 
never  having  regained  consciousness. 

It  was  about  the  zoth  of  December  the  ord- 
nance officer  issued  sabers,  revolvers,  and 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     35 

belts.  We  had  been  in  service  so  long  without 
arms  that  now  that  we  were  partially  armed, 
we  felt  proud  that  the  authorities  had  recog- 
nized the  fact  that  we  could  be  trusted  with 
the  most  harmless  instrument  in  modern  war- 
fare. For  my  part,  I  was  so  proud  of  my 
saber  that  I  borrowed  a  long  knife,  strung  it 
on  my  belt  also,  stalked  over  to  the  picture 
gallery,  and  had  my  picture  taken,  and  placed 
it  in  the  nicest  case  that  could  be  found  and 
sent  it  home.  The  picture  is  in  existence  yet, 
and  well  preserved,  but  to  an  experienced  eye 
it  looks  like  anything  but  a  soldier. 

On  the  24th  of  December  I  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati to  spend  Christmas  with  my  uncle, 
John  Woodruff,  who  was  editing  a  paper  and 
lived  with  his  family  on  Vine  Street.  After 
a  merry  Christmas  and  a  royal  time,  I  re- 
turned to  camp,  and  there  were  all  kinds  of 
rumors  afloat.  We  were  to  be  mustered  out 
of  service  immediately.  All  sorts  of  reasons 
were  assigned  for  this  sudden  change.  Some 
had  it  from  good  authority  that  there  was  too 
much  cavalry;  that  it  was  a  too  expensive 
branch  of  the  service  for  the  little  good  it  did. 
Many  other  things  were  circulated  until  the 
3d  of  January,  1862,  when  Colonel  Double- 
day  announced  that  he  had  orders  from  the 
War  Department  to  report  with  the  Second 
Ohio  Cavalry  to  the  commanding  officer  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  Preparations 
now  began  for  a  more  extended  journey  and 
adventures  than  we  had  in  our  wildest  imagi- 


36         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

nations  anticipated.  Old  ways  had  to  be  de- 
parted from.  The  convenience  of  wagons  to 
carry  surplus  bedding  and  baggage  must  be 
abandoned,  as  we  were  ordered  to  carry  our 
personal  effects  on  the  saddle.  There  was  lit- 
tle going  on  in  camp  but  the  routine  duty  and 
preparing  to  move  until  the  I5th  of  January, 
when,  about  seven  in  the  morning,  we  were 
led  into  line.  After  mounting  and  dismount- 
ing about  seven  times,  we  finally  moved  out 
in  the  direction  of  Cincinnati,  while  our  horses 
were  loaded  down  with  blankets,  quilts,  bed- 
ticks,  and  the  thousand  unnecessary  articles 
that  had  accumulated  in  camp.  Some  of  these 
were  abandoned  on  nearly  every  mile  from 
Camp  Dennison  to  Fort  Gibson.  However, 
we  arrived  in  Cincinnati  in  fairly  good  shape 
after  a  march  of  sixteen  miles.  We  put  in 
the  night  loading  horses  and  equipments,  and 
as  soon  as  the  train  was  loaded,  it  pulled  out 
for  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  taking  with  it  a  small 
detail  of  men  to  take  care  of  the  horses. 

After  the  long  and  weary  night's  task,  we 
fell  into  line  and  marched  to  a  long  train  of 
coaches,  and  followed  our  horses  westward, 
passing  the  stock  trains  one  by  one.  Fatigued 
by  the  march  of  the  day  and  the  night's  work, 
we  took  to  our  seats  in  quite  a  different  way 
from  that  of  our  journey  to  Camp  Wade  and 
Camp  Dennison,  and  most  of  us  soon  fell 
asleep.  For  want  of  experience  there  had 
been  but  little  proper  preparation  for  the  long 
journey  before  us,  although  we  had  been  mak- 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     37 

ing  ready  for  several  days;  yet  our  prepara- 
tion had  been  loss  of  time,  as  it  did  not  apply 
to  the  required  wants  of  the  occasion.  The 
company  equipments  had  been  packed  and 
loaded  in  cars  at  Camp  Dennison,  and  shipped 
direct  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  and  the  haver- 
sacks had  been  filled  with  light  bread  and 
boiled  beef,  which  had  been  nearly  consumed 
during  the  first  twenty-four  hours.  The 
troopers  were  mostly  young  and  hardy  and 
soon  became  hungry.  There  was  a  stampede 
at  every  station  by  those  who  had  money,  for 
whatever  eatables  there  were  in  sight.  Ar- 
rangements had  been  made  by  the  commissary 
officers  to  have  meals  prepared  at  two  differ- 
ent places,  but  that  was  very  tedious  for 
hungry  men.  The  dining-rooms  did  not  af- 
ford room  enough  to  seat  more  than  two  com- 
panies at  a  time,  and  all  kinds  of  trading  was 
resorted  to  to  satisfy  the  gnawing  appetites. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  grumbling,  but  the 
officers  were  not  blamed  for  the  inconven- 
ience. Each  man  took  blame  to  himself  for 
not  having  provided  properly  for  his  own 
needs,  as  each  man  considered  he  knew  just 
as  much  as  the  officer,  who,  in  this  case,  was 
often  his  old  schoolmate  and  neighbor.  But 
with  all  the  privations  there  were  many 
amusing  incidents  on  the  journey.  In  our 
company  there  was  a  man  who  had  served  in 
the  French  army,  and  on  such  occasions  he 
would  always  fill  up  with  "  Oh,  be  joyful," 
and  would  explain,  very  emphatically,  how 


38          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

he  could  pierce  his  enemy  with  his  saber. 
With  the  drawn  weapon  in  hand  he  would 
demonstrate  how  they  used  it  in  the  French 
army,  and  then  he  would  sing  the  Marseil- 
laise. He  had  a  grudge  against  Captain  Hall, 
and  kept  showing  us  just  how  he  would  thrust 
him.  The  performance,  in  course  of  time, 
became  uninteresting,  and  Brandyburg  was 
relieved  of  his  saber,  and  settled  down  to  a 
profound  sleep. 

It  was  a  long  and  tedious  journey,  for  the 
trains  did  not  glide  over  the  rails  as  they  do 
nowadays.  The  track  was  rough  and  the  ends 
of  the  rails  were  not  bound  together  with  iron 
straps.  Every  joint  was  down,  and  in  many 
places  the  ties  would  rise  and  sink  in  mud 
and  water  as  the  train  passed  over  them. 
There  was  one  place  where  an  Illinois  regi- 
ment had  been  thrown  from  the  track  and 
nearly  all  killed  or  injured,  while  making 
special  time  a  few  days  before. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I9th  we  arrived  at 
East  St.  Louis,  then  known  as  "  Bloody 
Island."  The  Mississippi  was  frozen  over, 
and  teams  pulling  heavy  loads  were  crossing 
in  the  same  order  that  they  pass  on  the  road 
or  street,  but  the  mayor  of  the  city  notified 
the  Colonel  that  the  ice  was  in  a  dangerous 
condition,  and  anyone  venturing  upon  it  did 
it  at  his  own  risk.  The  river  was  gradually 
swelling  from  melting  snow  and  the  rain  that 
was  falling.  The  owners  of  the  ferryboats 
were  aware  of  the  condition  and  had  steam 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     39 

ready  for  work  as  soon  as  the  ice  gave  way. 
It  was  almost  impossible  to  keep  the  regiment 
at  Bloody  Island,  for  there  was  no  shelter,  no 
cooking  outfit,  and  the  ground  was  covered 
with  ice  and  slush.  The  rain  poured  down  at 
intervals  and  wet  our  blankets  and  clothes, 
and  there  was  little  wood  to  build  fires.  Col- 
onel Doubleday  was  not  the  man  to  sit  down 
and  wait  for  nature  to  do  its  work  when  his 
men  were  in  such  a  horrible  plight.  He 
ordered  lumber  to  be  purchased  and  laid  on 
the  ice  to  strengthen  it  until  we  could  cross. 
The  lumber  began  to  arrive  that  very  day, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  2Oth,  after  stand- 
ing around  all  night,  a  detail  was  sent  to  lay 
stringers  across  the  river  with  planks  on  them 
bridge  fashion.  We  stood  and  walked  about 
the  banks  watching  the  work  progress  until 
about  four  o'clock,  when  it  was  complete. 
While  the  men  were  still  on  the  bridge  Col- 
onel Doubleday,  with  his  staff,  came  out  to 
inspect  it.  When  they  were  about  half-way 
across,  the  ice,  with  a  terrific  heave,  gave  way. 
Huge  blocks,  between  two  and  three  feet 
thick,  and  all  lengths  and  widths  from  ten  to 
one  hundred  feet,  shot  up,  and  then  settled  or 
sank  down  to  take  their  places  with  the  great 
mass  that  crashed  and  ground  together  as  it 
floated  down  in  the  seething  water  to  disap- 
pear in  the  Gulf  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. There  was  now  a  rush  for  life;  the 
officers  mounted,  and  the  detail  dismounted, 
rushing  for  shore.  The  bridge  served  a  good 


4O         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

purpose,  for  in  many  places  it  enabled  the 
men  to  cross  the  gaps  between  the  floats.  Some 
of  the  men  farthest  from  the  shore  were  un- 
able to  escape  until  after  the  bridge  had  en- 
tirely gone  to  pieces;  some  of  them,  floating 
down  a  distance,  watched  their  chances  and 
jumped  from  one  drift  to  another,  until  at  last 
all  were  safe.  The  shore  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  was  crowded  with  soldiers  and  citizens, 
and  the  wildest  excitement  prevailed.  Men 
rushed  hither  and  thither,  shouting  and 
screaming  all  kinds  of  words  of  precaution 
to  those  in  danger;  but  the  roar  and  creaking 
of  the  ice  made  the  din  unintelligible,  and  the 
men  paid  no  attention  to  it.  Each  looked  out 
for  himself  and  secured  his  own  safety,  and 
there  was  no  loss  of  life  or  limb.  The  hos- 
pital record  in  the  days  following  told  the 
woeful  tale  of  the  devastation  of  health 
caused  by  the  working  and  tramping  about 
and  lying  around  in  mud  and  rain,  with  little 
to  eat,  and  many  times  with  nothing. 

During  the  day  we  had  been  treated  to  all 
kinds  of  stories  concerning  our  future,  pur- 
porting to  come  from  officers  who  knew  all 
about  it.  Good  barracks,  good  stables  for 
horses,  and,  above  all  things,  carbines,  awaited 
us  in  the  beautiful  beyond.  Fortunately,  the 
break  up  of  ice  extended  only  about  a  mile, 
and  in  an  hour  we  were  crossing  the  river  in 
ferryboats  that  had  steamed  across  it  at  the 
first  opportunity.  We  marched  through  the 
streets  of  St.  Louis  to  Benton  Barracks,  where 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennlson     41 

we  arrived  in  the  night  and  in  a  drenching 
rain.  Instead  of  being  quartered  in  com- 
fortable barracks,  after  an  hour  or  two  of 
parleying  around  we  were  compelled  to  go  in 
the  arena  of  the  fair  ground,  with  no  wood 
for  fires  to  dry  our  clothes,  and  no  shelter  or 
feed  for  the  horses.  We  were  compelled  to 
lie  down  on  the  seats  of  the  arena  in  wet 
blankets  until  morning,  when  we  got  some 
wood.  We  then  proceeded  to  dry  our  clothes 
and  blankets,  and  wait  for  rations  and  forage 
that  came  later  in  the  day.  Our  privations 
and  our  intense  hunger  convinced  every  man 
that  he  should  know  how  to  cook  and  care  for 
his  own  rations.  It  was  very  apparent  that  a 
company  mess  arrangement  could  not  be  ef- 
fectually used  while  on  the  move,  and  the 
service  of  the  regiment  must  necessarily  be 
very  much  impaired  with  cook  and  rations  in 
one  place  and  hungry  men  in  another.  All 
agreed  that  a  mess  of  four  troopers  could  carry 
the  necessary  cooking  utensils  and  rations  for 
that  number,  but  we  were  not  called  on  to  put 
this  new  method  into  use  for  many  months. 

The  Second  Illinois  and  the  Second  Iowa 
Cavalry  were  also  camped  at  Benton  Bar- 
racks. Among  them  we  met  many  old  school- 
mates and  neighbors  formerly  from  Ohio,  but 
now  living  in  Illinois  and  Iowa.  After  a  de- 
lay of  two  days  at  Benton  Barracks,  we  took 
up  the  line  of  march  to  St.  Charles,  a  distance 
of  twenty-five  miles  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Missouri  River.  The  ice  was  still  intact  at 


42          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

this  place,  and  we  marched  across  in  column 
of  fours  by  deploying  to  widen  the  space  be- 
tween the  sets  so  as  not  to  have  too  much 
weight  on  the  ice  at  one  time.  A  large  part 
of  the  regiment  took  quarters  in  the  female 
seminary  and  the  remainder  in  unoccupied 
houses  wherever  they  were  to  be  found. 
Company  E  occupied  a  warehouse  in  the 
center  of  the  city,  with  a  large  lot  adjoining, 
with  sheds  for  the  horses.  At  this  place  ad- 
ditional arms  were  issued,  one  battalion  being 
provided  with  revolving  rifles  and  the  others 
with  what  was  called  the  Australian  carbine, 
which  was  nothing  more  than  a  musket  sawed 
off,  making  a  short  muzzle-loading  gun  with 
the  old-fashioned  paper  cartridge  and  the 
regulation  army  cap.  St.  Charles  was  a  lively 
little  city  at  that  time,  and  seemed  to  be  the 
rendezvous  of  all  kinds  of  people.  Spies  for 
both  armies,  desperadoes,  gamblers,  and  spec- 
ulators collected  and  made  headquarters 
there.  It  was  useless  for  one  to  ask  another 
where  he  was  from,  or  what  he  was  doing,  or 
if  he  sympathized  with  the  North  or  the 
South.  If  your  question  was  answered  at  all, 
it  would  be  with  a  shot  or  a  look  that  would 
tell  you  at  once  it  was  none  of  your  business. 
Now  that  we  were  armed  and  equipped, 
we  began  to  think  we  had  been  organized  for 
some  purpose,  and  could  venture  into  the 
enemy's  country.  After  resting  at  St.  Charles 
two  or  three  days,  observing  the  ways  of  the 
people,  which  were  very  different  from  any- 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     43 

thing  we  had  witnessed  before,  we  reloaded 
our  horses  and  boarded  the  train  for  another 
long  journey  by  rail.  It  was  the  custom  for 
the  field  officers,  and  such  line  officers  as  they 
saw  fit  to  invite,  to  occupy  the  rear  coach, 
which  was  done  on  this  occasion.  About  day- 
light it  was  noticed  that  the  coach  had  been 
detached  and  left  behind.  At  the  first  stop- 
ping-place the  train  was  side-tracked  and  the 
engine  went  back  to  pick  up  the  lost  officers. 
It  found  them  twenty  miles  back,  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  large  snow-covered  prairie,  sur- 
rounded by  horsemen  at  a  long  range,  who 
had  intended  an  attack,  but  for  some  reason 
had  delayed  until  too  late.  It  was  presumed 
to  be  some  roving  band  of  guerrillas,  of  which 
there  were  many  at  that  time,  and  one  of  their 
spies,  who  had  been  in  St.  Charles,  had 
boarded  the  train  in  uniform,  and  when  they 
had  come  into  the  neighborhood  of  their 
band,  he  had  pulled  the  coupling-pin  and 
made  his  escape  while  the  officers  were  sleep- 
ing. Most  all  of  those  bands  had  confed- 
erates in  St.  Charles  and  St.  Louis.  In  fact, 
Quantrill,  a  most  desperate  leader  of  one  of 
the  bands,  was  at  that  very  moment  on  our 
train,  enlisted  as  a  member  of  a  company. 
We  will  speak  of  him  hereafter. 

The  weather  was  bitter  cold,  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  have  any  comfort  in  the  moving 
train,  as  it  was  tickety-tick  and  bumpety-bump 
as  the  wheels  passed  from  one  rail  to  another. 
At  Hudson,  now  Macon  City,  we  fed  and  re- 


44          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

loaded  on  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Jo  road.  We 
found  some  Missouri  troops  stationed  there, 
and  they  extended  us  a  hearty  welcome  and 
rendered  all  assistance  they  could,  and  gave 
us  much  information  of  the  kind  of  enemy  we 
had  to  meet,  their  methods  of  warfare,  and 
so  on.  After  a  delay  of  forty  hours  we  again 
moved  westward.  After  leaving  Hudson  our 
journey  was  marked  by  ruins  of  bridges  and 
smoking  embers  of  houses,  for  the  bush- 
whackers and  guerrillas  had  been  busy  every- 
where, waging  war  and  devastating  every- 
thing they  came  in  reach  of.  Neighbor 
against  neighbor,  with  knife  and  gun,  they  cut 
and  shot  each  other  to  pieces.  At  every  bridge 
or  crossing  there  was  a  blockhouse  occupied 
by  a  guard  of  soldiers  to  save  the  bridge  from 
destruction.  At  the  crossing  of  the  Platte 
River  a  full  regiment  was  stationed,  and  a 
strong  stockade  and  blockhouses  had  been 
erected  for  its  defense.  A  few  days  previous 
this  bridge,  while  unguarded,  had  been  partly 
burned,  and  a  train  loaded  with  soldiers  had 
run  into  the  river,  causing  great  loss  of  life. 
Our  train  arrived  at  Weston,  Missouri,  on 
January  30,  where  we  caught  up  with  our 
culinary  department,  and  then  we  were  served 
with  the  first  hot  meal  for  seven  days. 

Weston  is  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  Hanni- 
bal &  St.  Jo  R.  R.,  and  was,  at  that  time,  many 
miles  beyond  any  other  railroad.  After  tak- 
ing a  little  rest,  we  marched  to  Platte  City,  a 
distance  of  six  or  seven  miles.  There  were 


JV  inter  Quarters  at  Camp  Denmson     45 

still  a  few  patches  of  snow  and  the  road  was 
covered  with  ice.  Before  we  reached  our 
destination  we  were  treated  to  one  of  those 
freaks  of  weather  peculiar  to  that  section  of  the 
country — a  heavy  thunderstorm,  that  made 
day  as  dark  as  night.  It  continued  about 
thirty  minutes,  and  then  with  a  sudden  change 
of  the  wind  it  began  to  snow,  and  by  the  time 
we  were  all  quartered  there  were  three  inches 
of  snow  on  the  ground.  At  Platte  City  the 
regiment  began  to  make  history.  We  were 
ordered  by  a  dispatch  from  the  commanding 
officer  at  Leavenworth  to  quell  a  factional 
fight  which  had  resulted  in  the  killing  of  sev- 
eral men  and  the  burning  of  some  houses. 

Platte  City  was  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in 
Missouri,  and  had  been  for  many  years  a  fit- 
ting-out and  resting-place  for  freighters  and 
emigrants  crossing  the  plains.  In  the  palmy 
days,  with  the  aid  of  slave  labor  and  slave 
trade,  the  inhabitants  had  accumulated  much 
wealth.  The  buildings,  both  business  and 
residence,  were  well  built  and  handsome,  and 
the  people  lived  in  luxury  and  ease.  After 
the  time  of  the  border  troubles  of  '56  between 
the  free-State  and  pro-slavery  parties,  there 
was  a  division  of  sentiment,  and  after  the  war 
of  '61  had  been  declared,  factional  fights  were 
of  common  occurrence.  They  caused  a  great 
exodus,  and  when  we  took  possession  of  the 
place  there  was  scarcely  a  man  or  a  horse  to 
be  seen.  Large  livery  barns,  of  which  there 
were  several,  were  empty,  and  made  com- 


46         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

modious  and  comfortable  places  for  our 
horses.  There  were  plenty  of  empty  houses 
to  quarter  two  or  three  regiments,  but  they 
were  not  very  suitable  for  soldiers'  quarters. 
Many  rooms  had  no  place  for  fire,  and  others 
had  but  a  small  fireplace,  not  suitable  to  cook 
for  so  many  men.  A  fierce  snowstorm  raged 
for  twenty-four  hours.  It  was  impossible  to 
build  a  fire  and  cook  outdoors.  The  men  were 
compelled  to  gather  around  the  few  and  small 
fires  we  were  able  to  make  in  the  fireplaces. 
It  soon  became  known  that  provisions  were 
scarce  in  the  town,  and  the  women  remaining 
at  home,  whose  husbands  had  gone  to  the 
army,  were  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  cook, 
and  take  the  surplus  rations.  The  surplus 
would  maintain  them,  as  it  was  large  in  such 
things  as  beans,  rice,  hominy,  and  bacon,  all 
of  which  had  accumulated,  as  we  had  had  no 
chance  to  cook  for  several  days.  This  ar- 
rangement proved  very  convenient  for  both 
soldiers  and  citizens.  We  were  all  pleased 
with  our  stay  in  Platte  City. 

Notwithstanding  the  severe  cold  weather, 
our  experience  was  novel  and  varied.  It  was 
new  and  interesting  to  the  boys  from  the  rural 
districts  of  Ohio,  and  taught  us  to  be  vigilant 
soldiers.  The  first  real  eye-opener  was  the 
disappearance,  while  on  the  road  from  Weston 
to  Platte  City,  of  a  man  who  had  made  his 
appearance  at  headquarters  in  St.  Charles  and 
asked  to  be  enlisted  in  the  regiment.  He  con- 
clusively proved  to  Colonel  Doubleday  that 


Winter  Quarters  at  Camp  Dennison     47 

he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  western  part 
of  Missouri  and  eastern  Kansas,  and  had  been 
compelled  to  leave  home  on  account  of  his 
Union  principles.  The  Colonel,  thinking  he 
would  be  of  valuable  service  and  wishing  to 
do  something  to  gratify  a  Union  man,  enlisted 
him  and  assigned  him  to  a  company.  It  has 
since  been  learned  that  the  man  was  no  other 
than  the  noted  Quantrill.  The  first  move  on 
entering  the  town,  the  Colonel  put  guards  in 
all  parts  and  notified  all  parties  that  private 
rights  would  be  protected.  A  favorable  senti- 
ment was  thereby  cultivated  in  a  very  short 
time.  Many  Union  flags  appeared.  Some  of 
the  flags  were  painted  in  water  colors  so  that 
they  could  be  washed  in  case  it  was  necessary. 
This  enlightened  us  on  another  point.  It 
proved  that  people  were  compelled  to  guide 
their  actions  in  accordance  with  the  surround- 
ing conditions,  and  it  was  necessary  to  have 
two  flags  in  one  family.  As  this  had  to  be 
practiced  by  both  parties  it  was  not  often  that 
one  would  publicly  make  known  the  actions 
of  the  other.  If  this  were  done  the  informer 
would  surely  meet  a  tragic  fate.  Company 
D  and  Company  G  were  sent  to  guard  im- 
portant and  strategic  points  some  distance 
away.  Scouting  parties  and  patrolling  guards 
were  constantly  patrolling  the  town  and  the 
country  to  protect  the  Union  people.  Pick- 
ets were  stationed  on  all  the  roads  to  prevent 
the  command  from  being  surprised  by  the 
marauders. 


CHAPTER   IV 

MY  FIRST  PICKET  DUTY 

MY  first  picket  duty  was  performed 
here  during  the  first  week  of  our 
sojourn.  Our  company  was  called 
on  every  day  for  a  detail  to  scout  or 
do  picket  duty.  When  it  came  my  turn,  a  full 
detail,  with  Corporal  Arnold  in  charge,  sad- 
dled horses,  and  with  instructions  from  the 
adjutant,  moved  out  on  a  public  road  and  re- 
lieved the  guards  there.  It  was  a  bitter  cold 
day,  and  during  the  night  the  ice  would  rise  up 
and  pop  open  in  the  road  where  it  had  been 
tramped  down  by  the  horses.  The  instruc- 
tions required  that  one  man  must  be  constantly 
in  the  saddle  and  at  a  short  distance  in  ad- 
vance of  the  dismounted  men.  We  relied  a 
great  deal  on  our  corporal.  He  had  seen 
active  service  in  Virginia  during  the  first 
three  months'  campaign.  Our  surroundings 
were  very  different  here  in  Missouri.  There 
were  no  large  armies  in  close  proximity,  but 
the  country  was  infested  with  bands  of  guer- 
rillas, whose  deeds  of  daring  and  miraculous 
adventure  could  not  be  surpassed  by  the 
knights  or  gladiators  of  old.  Those  parties 
were  not  confined  to  the  army  alone;  some 
were  secessionists,  and  others  Union,  while 

48 


My  First  Picket  Duty  49 

others  were,  strictly  speaking,  seeking  revenge 
for  actual  or  supposed  wrongs  perpetrated  on 
themselves  or  families,  and  still  others  were 
depredating  for  the  spoils.  They  were  con- 
stantly making  raids,  driving  off  stock,  and 
carrying  off  provisions  of  every  kind,  robbing 
and  burning  houses,  and  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  one  or  two  to  ride  along  the  road 
like  innocent  people,  get  into  conversation 
with  the  sentinel,  and  at  the  first  opportunity 
get  the  drop  on  and  capture  him.  The  whole 
party  would  then  make  their  appearance  from 
the  woods  or  some  place  where  they  had  been 
secreted,  and  charge  into  the  camp,  yelling 
and  shooting,  killing  men  and  driving  off  the 
stock,  and  burning  nouses. 

We  had  been  attentive  listeners  to  these 
stories  from  the  time  we  crossed  the  Missis- 
sippi, and,  therefore,  knew  the  necessity  of 
constant  alertness.  We  took  turns  on  mounted 
guard  during  the  day,  and  one  at  a  time  would 
go  to  town  for  his  meals,  but  at  night  no  one 
was  allowed  to  dismount  but  the  corporal. 
The  trying  ordeal  was  terrible  during  the  long 
winter  nights,  but  our  safety  depended  upon 
our  vigilance.  After  hearing  of  so  many  dar- 
ing adventures  and  hairbreadth  escapes,  to 
verify  which  there  were  plenty  of  facts  in  evi- 
dence, we  had  about  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  nothing  was  impossible,  and  we  deter- 
mined that  no  such  accident  should  happen 
to  us  from  neglect  of  duty.  We  can  now  re- 
fer with  pride  to  the  fact  that  we  were  not 


50         Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

surprised  and  that  we  lost  no  stock  during 
the  campaign  in  the  West.  How  we  kept 
from  freezing  is  a  wonder.  We  bundled  up 
our  feet  and  patted  them  on  the  bottom  of  the 
stirrups,  and  swung  our  arms,  but  the  suffer- 
ing was  almost  unbearable. 

I  was  not  very  anxious  to  engage  in  a  skir- 
mish, but  sometimes  I  would  try  to  make  my- 
self believe  that  I  would  rather  see  the  enemy 
charging  up  the  road  than  to  remain  there  for 
the  remainder  of  the  night.  I  think  the  light 
of  day  has  never  been  so  welcome  to  me  as  it 
was  on  those  clear  frosty  mornings.  The  sun 
rose  and  shone  brightly,  and  at  nine  o'clock 
we  were  relieved,  and  went  to  our  quarters 
with  the  satisfaction  of  having  been  fully  in- 
itiated to  picket  duty  in  the  enemy's  country. 

As  our  regiment  was  destined  to  be  a  part 
of  an  expedition  to  move  farther  to  the  south 
and  west,  and  as  we  were  now  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  railroad,  other  kind  of  transporta- 
tion for  supplies  and  baggage  had  to  be  pro- 
vided. Mules  and  wagons  were  brought  over 
from  Fort  Leavenworth.  D.  H.  Arnold, 
quartermaster-sergeant  of  Company  E,  was 
promoted  to  be  regimental  trainmaster.  He 
began  at  once  to  fit  out  a  regimental  train. 
He  was,  perhaps,  the  only  man  in  the  com- 
mand who  could  throw  a  lasso  on  a  wild  mule, 
or,  as  the  modern  cowboy  would  say,  put  "  the 
tug"  on  a  broncho.  He  proved  a  valuable 
man  in  that  capacity,  and  performed  his  duty 
long  and  well.  The  fitting  out  of  the  train 


My  First  Picket  Duty  51 

interested  me  very  much.  I  would  go  to  the 
corral  every  day  to  see  them  handle  the  wild 
mules.  Arnold  offered  me  a  team  to  drive, 
but,  as  it  did  not  compare  very  favorably  with 
my  notion  of  a  cavalryman,  I  promptly  de- 
clined. 

The  company  mess  was  yet  in  vogue,  and  as 
the  cooking-vessels  were  large  and  could  not 
be  carried  by  the  detachments  that  went  on 
long  trips,  many  men  suffered  for  want  of 
food.  But  with  all  the  privations  there  were 
many  fond  ties  connected  with  the  sojourn 
here.  Many  of  the  boys  kept  up  a  corre- 
spondence with  people  there,  and  some  later 
went  back  and  married  young  ladies  with 
whom  they  became  acquainted  at  Platte  City. 
On  the  1 8th  of  February  we  left  Platte  City 
and  marched  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  we 
arrived  six  weeks  from  the  time  the  orders 
were  received  at  Camp  Dennison  to  report 
forthwith  to  the  commander  at  that  fort. 

We  were  quartered  in  the  regulation  bar- 
racks, and  the  horses  were  sheltered  in  good 
stables.  Here  we  learned  something  about 
regular  army  life,  as  there  were  some  regular 
troops  doing  post  duty.  Leavenworth  was  the 
fitting-out  place  for  all  Government  expedi- 
tions for  the  South  and  West.  Large  quanti- 
ties of  clothing,  rations,  and  forage  were  con- 
stantly being  shipped  up  the  river  and  stored 
there  until  they  could  be  loaded  on  wagons 
drawn  by  six  mules,  and  sent  to  their  destina- 
tions. These  trains  were  numerous,  and  usu- 


52         Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

ally  consisted  of  sixty  wagons,  some  of  which 
made  long  journeys  to  Salt  Lake  and  other 
points.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  the  trains 
to  be  gone  a  year  before  reporting  back  for 
another  load.  They  were  frequently  at- 
tacked by  Indians,  who  would  drive  off  or 
kill  some,  and,  at  times,  all  of  their  mules. 

During  our  stay  at  Leavenworth  we  saw  an 
old  soldier  drummed  out  of  camp.  One  side 
of  his  head  was  shaved  and  a  big  D  branded 
on  his  skin,  denoting  that  he  was  a  deserter. 
This  brought  a  new  problem  before  us,  and 
some  of  us  discussed  the  question  whether  it 
was  or  was  not  our  duty  to  defend  a  govern- 
ment that  treated  men  in  that  manner.  I  be- 
lieve we  did  not  reach  any  definite  conclusion. 
I  know  it  is  not  fully  settled  in  my  mind  yet; 
but  the  stirring  events  allowed  no  time  for 
much  thought  and  it  was  soon  forgotten. 

The  ordnance  officer  at  the  fort  had  six 
field-pieces  with  caissons  and  harness,  but  no 
horses  or  men  to  handle  them.  When  the 
officer  in  charge  saw  the  fine  horses  of  the 
Second  Ohio,  he  proposed  to  Colonel  Double- 
day  that  he  let  him  have  enough  to  fit  him  out. 
The  proposition  was  made  to  the  men,  and 
there  was  a  call  for  volunteers.  Enough  men 
responded  at  once.  To  my  surprise  and  regret 
one  of  our  messmen  volunteered,  Theodore 
Campbell.  He  was  one  of  the  most  reliable 
men  in  the  company,  of  a  quiet  disposition, 
and  one  from  whom  we  had  never  heard  a 
word  of  discontent  or  complaint.  He  said 


My  First  Picket  Duty  53 

afterward  that  when  he  saw  that  battery  stand- 
ing there  the  day  we  came,  he  thought  how  he 
would  like  to  be  one  of  the  men  to  go  with  it. 
This  appeared  strange  to  me,  for  money  could 
not  have  hired  me  to  leave  my  fleet-footed 
animal  and  go  with  those  lumbering  wagons 
with  a  big  log  of  iron  on  them. 

We  were  not  destined  to  stay  at  Leaven- 
worth  long.  The  post  quartermaster  was  fit- 
ting out  a  train  of  more  than  a  hundred  wag- 
ons, the  destination  of  which  was  Fort  Scott, 
Kansas,  and  the  Second  Ohio  was  to  be  its 
escort. 

When  everything  was  ready  the  roads  were 
very  bad.  The  frost  had  come  out  of  the 
ground,  but,  as  the  supplies  were  needed  at 
Fort  Scott,  it  was  necessary  to  put  them  on 
the  road.  On  the  i9th  of  February  we  moved 
out.  The  horses  looked  well,  having  had  good 
stables  and  plenty  of  feed,  and  having  been 
well  groomed  every  day,  both  at  Platte  City 
and  Fort  Leavenworth.  We  had  every  rea- 
son to  be  proud  of  our  mounts.  We  were  in 
a  country  where  the  people  were  used  to  see- 
ing cavalry,  and  they  all  agreed  that  we  were 
the  best-mounted  troops  they  had  ever  seen. 
Our  route  lay  along  the  east  line  of  Kansas. 
With  the  bands  of  bushwhackers  and  marau- 
ders infesting  the  country  it  was  essential  to 
have  troops  to  protect  the  trains  from  being 
plundered.  The  train  moved  slowly,  and 
there  was  plenty  of  time  for  scouting  parties 
to  patrol  the  roads. 


54         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

A  few  miles  from  the  fort,  when  we  left  the 
pike,  the  roads  were  very  soft,  and  the  wagons 
sank  to  the  axles  in  many  places.  The  train 
strung  out  for  miles,  and  did  not  all  meet  at 
the  same  camp.  This  necessitated  a  division 
of  the  regiment.  One  battalion  was  in  ad- 
vance, one  in  the  center,  and  one  in  the  rear. 
The  battalion  to  which  Company  E  belonged 
happened  to  be  in  advance.  On  the  evening 
of  the  second  day  we  camped  at  Wyandotte, 
twenty-eight  miles  from  Fort  Leavenworth, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Kaw  River,  and  di- 
rectly opposite  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  The 
officers  and  men  soon  made  their  appearance 
on  the  streets  and  in  the  hotels  of  Kansas  City, 
and  at  that  time  there  were  many  refugees 
there.  Some  were  business  men  of  Inde- 
pendence and  other  towns  who  had  been  com- 
pelled to  leave  their  homes  because  of  their 
Union  sentiments. 

A  delegation  of  them  waited  on  Colonel 
Doubleday,  and  explained  to  him  that  Quan- 
trill  with  a  band  of  about  a  hundred  men  was 
camped  a  few  miles  from  Independence, 
twelve  miles  from  Kansas  City,  and  that  he 
was  in  the  habit  of  riding  into  town  every 
night  and  running  it  to  suit  his  own  notions. 
They  had,  with  the  aid  of  companies  of  local 
troops,  tried  to  dislodge  him,  but  in  the  many 
engagements  he  had  always  come  out  victo- 
rious. They  said  they  would  go  and  act  as 
guides  and  scouts,  and  fight  as  well  as  the 
troops,  if  the  Colonel  would  give  them  the 


CHARLES  GRANDISON  FAIRCHI^D 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


PACING  54 


My  First  Picket  Duty  55 

opportunity.  But  he  said  a  move  of  that  kind 
had  to  be  made  with  the  utmost  caution  and 
secrecy.  If  a  hint  should  be  dropped  to  any- 
one in  sympathy  with  the  South,  notice  would 
reach  the  band  before  a  detail  could  start. 


CHAPTER   V 

MY  FIRST  SKIRMISH 

AFTER  we  had  answered  to  our  names 
at  retreat  the  next  day,  the  captain 
said  there  was  to  be  a  scouting  party 
to  make  a  night  raid,  and  the  major 
wanted  ten  men  from  Company  E.  He 
wanted  to  know  if  that  number  would  step  to 
the  front  as  volunteers.  I  was  standing  in  the 
front  rank,  and  I  stepped  to  the  front  as  quick 
as  possible,  but  was  not  there  any  too  soon, 
for  twenty  were  there  as  soon  as  I,  with  more 
coming.  The  captain  ordered  all  but  ten  to 
break  ranks.  As  no  one  disputed  my  right,  I 
was  permitted  to  go  as  one  of  the  detail.  A 
sergeant  was  put  in  command,  with  instruc- 
tions to  put  us  in  light  marching  order  and  re- 
port to  Lieutenant  Nettleton.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  have  in  charge  of  that  detail  an  officer 
who  had  seen  some  active  service,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Nettleton  was  the  only  one  in  our  bat- 
talion who  had  been  on  a  scout  of  any 
importance.  He  had  been  with  Captain 
Welch  on  a  few  days'  scout  in  Kentucky,  but 
as  they  did  not  engage  the  enemy  his  experi- 
ence was  of  little  or  no  value  to  him  on  this 
occasion.  It  was  nine  o'clock  when  we 
marched  down  the  street  of  Kansas  City, 

56 


My  First  Skirmish  57 

where  we  were  joined  by  a  party  of  citizens 
of  Independence.  They  were  well  mounted 
and  armed,  dressed  in  hunting-suits,  and 
looked  every  inch  the  men  they  afterward 
proved  themselves  to  be.  They  took  the  ad- 
vance and  did  the  scouting.  The  road  from 
Kansas  City  to  Independence  is  a  limestone 
pike,  and  the  hillsides  and  shady  places  were 
covered  with  ice.  Our  horses  were  sharp- 
shod,  but  the  ice  was  thin  and  gave  way  in 
many  places. 

A  drizzling  rain  fell  all  night,  but  we  ar- 
rived at  our  destination  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  It  was  as  dark  as  Egypt. 
Our  guides  were  well  acquainted  with  their 
position,  and  we  at  once  surrounded  a  livery 
stable  in  which  it  was  the  custom  of  Quantrill 
and  his  men  to  stable  their  horses  while  they 
stayed  in  town;  and  they  usually,  it  seemed, 
came  there  to  sleep  in  the  loft.  It  was  the  plan 
of  our  guides  to  catch  them  in  that  position, 
as  it  was  a  bad  night  to  be  out,  but  to  our  dis- 
appointment the  stable  was  vacant.  Some  of 
the  scouts  visited  their  homes,  and  returned 
with  the  information  that  Quantrill  had  not 
been  in  that  night,  but  he  was  expected  for 
breakfast.  We  sat  on  our  horses  in  anxious 
expectation  until  daylight,  which  was  at  a 
late  hour  owing  to  the  heavy  fog  that  had  set- 
tled down  after  the  rain.  Meantime,  Lieu- 
tenant Nettleton  had  stationed  some  of  the  de- 
tail in  different  parts  of  the  town  unknown  to 
the  rest  of  us.  He  then  marched  the  remain- 


5 8          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

der  of  the  detail  out  into  the  country  about  a 
half-mile  and  turned  into  a  meadow.  Two 
large  stack-pens  were  in  the  center  of  the 
meadow,  and  we  were  ordered  to  tie  up  to 
the  fence,  loosen  the  girths,  and  feed  corn  from 
an  adjoining  field.  After  the  horses  were  fed 
we  ate  our  hardtack  and  bacon.  The  Lieu- 
tenant had  ridden  away  to  a  farmhouse  some 
distance  from  the  stack-pen  to  feed  his  horse 
and  get  his  breakfast.  As  we  had  been  in  the 
saddle  all  night,  some  of  us  had  stretched  our- 
selves out  on  the  hay  to  take  a  nap.  I  had  been 
lying  down  but  a  few  moments  when  the  sharp 
report  of  a  rifle  and  a  revolver  told  us  that 
Quantrill  had  come  to  town  for  breakfast.  We 
sprang  to  our  horses,  put  on  the  bridles,  tight- 
ened the  saddles,  mounted,  and  were  off  for 
town,  pell-mell,  every  man  for  himself,  try- 
ing to  see  who  could  get  there  first. 

I  was  not  the  first  in  the  saddle,  but  I  was 
first  to  gain  the  road.  As  I  turned  into  it  I 
met  Shorty  Armstrong  coming  at  full  speed, 
shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Quantrill 
is  in  town!"  As  we  passed  some  residences 
on  the  street  I  saw  one  of  our  guides  entering 
his  door  with  his  revolver  in  his  right  hand 
and  a  stream  of  blood  running  down  the  fin- 
gers of  his  left  hand. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Quantrill;  the  Second 
Ohio  will  settle  with  you  for  that!"  The 
thought  had  scarcely  passed  my  mind,  when 
I  saw  Quantrill's  men  pouring  out  of  a  cross- 
street  and  down  the  very  one  we  were  entering. 


My  First  Skirmish  59 

The  fog  was  rising  a  little,  and  as  the  distance 
was  only  about  three  blocks,  we  could  see 
them  very  distinctly.  They  were  going  as 
fast  as  we  were,  down  hill  into  the  creek  where 
the  fog  still  hung  on  the  low  ground,  and  for 
a  minute  or  two  they  were  lost  to  view.  The 
street  terminated  at  the  creek,  and  the  road 
turned  down  and  followed  the  bed  about  one 
hundred  yards,  and  then  turned  at  right 
angles  on  a  little  flat  at  that  time  covered  with 
water.  They  were  quick  to  take  advantage  of 
this  spot,  and  turned  to  make  a  stand.  The 
creek  was  swollen  and  deep  enough  to  come 
half-way  up  to  the  horses'  sides.  I  saw  this, 
and  was  going  too  fast  to  dash  into  it,  for 
that  would  surely  have  thrown  my  mare  from 
her  feet.  I  reined  her  to  the  left  on  a  vacant 
lot  that  terminated  abruptly  at  the  creek  about 
twelve  feet  above  the  water  and  about  one 
hundred  yards  from  the  enemy.  We  began 
to  exchange  shots  without  any  further  cere- 
mony, and  the  rapid  firing  to  my  left  told  the 
effectual  work  our  scouts  were  doing,  who  had 
taken  a  short  cut  and  were  at  the  creek  below 
us.  I  was  now  surrounded  by  our  detail,  and 
we  were  all  emptying  our  guns  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  when  I  saw  the  men  that  had  come 
down  the  hill  last  were  entering  the  creek. 
When  QuantriU's  men  turned  and  began  to 
run,  I  dashed  into  the  creek,  and  my  animal, 
true  to  her  instinct  as  a  racer,  was  bound  to  do 
her  best  to  be  in  the  lead.  As  we  came  out  in 
shallow  water  with  fearful  bounds,  she  leaped 


60         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

over  the  body  of  one  of  the  enemy  that  had 
fallen  on  his  back  and  was  nearly  covered  with 
water.  It  was  the  first  dead  Johnny  I  ever 
saw.  They  had  made  another  stand  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  I  heard  the  words,  "  Halt, 
halt,  surrender!"  I  came  to  a  halt,  and  on 
looking  back  I  saw  our  men,  some  already 
dismounted,  with  their  guns  through  the 
fence,  taking  prisoners.  It  was  the  enemy's 
intention  to  win  a  victory  by  making  a  stand 
in  that  place.  Some  had  dismounted  and 
crouched  behind  the  fence,  but  we  had  made 
such  an  effectual  dash  on  them  that  when 
their  mounted  men  gave  way  the  riderless 
horses  went  with  them,  and  left  their  riders  to 
their  fate.  Four  or  five  dead  men  lay  there, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  wounded  who  had  made 
their  escape.  The  result  showed  the  effect  of 
the  firing  from  raw  troops. 

When  the  prisoners  had  been  gathered  to- 
gether, we  began  to  look  around  to  see  where 
we  were,  and  after  pinching  ourselves  to  see 
if  we  were  alive  or  dead,  we  concluded  we 
were  somewhere.  Just  at  that  moment  our 
noble  commander  appeared  and  wanted  to 
know  what  was  the  matter  with  us,  but  when 
he  saw  a  half-dozen  prisoners  and  as  many 
dead  lying  about,  he  concluded  not  to  lecture 
us  on  military  discipline.  After  hearing  all 
the  particulars,  he  ordered  a  forward  move- 
ment, and  taking  the  advance  at  a  very  moder- 
ate gait  we  went  in  the  direction  the  enemy 
had  gone.  The  men  appeared  to  chafe  under 


My  First  Skirmish  61 

this  unnecessary  delay.  If  he  had  not  come 
we  would  have  started  some  minutes  earlier 
and  at  a  more  rapid  gait,  and  we  would  doubt- 
less have  engaged  and  defeated  Quantrill. 
My  animal,  having  had  one  heat,  was  eager 
for  another;  she  was  champing  the  bit,  scat- 
tering froth  at  every  toss  of  the  head,  dancing 
and  prancing  until  the  white  foam  was  drop- 
ping to  the  ground.  All  this  was  so  annoying 
to  the  Lieutenant  that  he  looked  at  me  with 
a  scowl  on  his  face,  and  ordered  me  to  keep 
my  horse  back  where  it  belonged.  After 
traveling  about  half  a  mile  we  came  upon  the 
dead  body  of  one  of  our  boys.  He  had  been 
shot  in  the  back  and  pitched  forward,  the 
cape  of  his  coat  falling  over  his  head.  I  did 
not  know  how  he  had  come  there,  but  some- 
one suggested  that  his  horse  had  run  away 
and  carried  him  into  the  lines  of  the  enemy. 
Taking  this  to  be  true,  we  dismissed  it  from 
our  minds.  Two  men  took  his  body  back  to 
town,  and  the  column  moved  on. 

I,  for  one,  and  I  believe  also  the  others, 
expected  to  hear  the  order  to  gallop,  that  we 
might  dash  into  the  retreating  foe  and  avenge 
the  death  of  our  fallen  companion.  But  it 
was  apparent  that  there  was  no  such  order 
ready-made.  We  traveled  on  another  half- 
mile,  it  seemed  to  me  at  a  snail's  pace.  At 
that  point  there  was  heavy  timber  on  both 
sides  of  the  road,  with  a  heavy  rail  fence  on 
the  right  side  but  no  fence  on  the  left.  A  few 
hundred  yards  ahead  and  to  the  left  a  point 


62          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

of  the  mountain  terminated  with  a  steep  bluff, 
known  as  Bald  Knob.  The  thought  must  have 
entered  every  man's  mind  at  the  same  time, 
for  it  was  easy  to  distinguish  many  suppressed 
voices  saying,  "  Look  out!  they  will  ambush  us 
here."  The  next  thought  was  to  throw  down 
the  fence  and  go  around  and  attack  in  the 
rear,  but  this  was  an  idle  thought.  The  Lieu- 
tenant suddenly  ordered  us  to  halt.  We  came 
to  a  standstill.  An  ashy  paleness  spread  over 
the  commander's  face  as  he  gazed  at  the  death- 
dealing  hill,  and  he  remarked  that  the  enemy 
had  a  good  start  of  us  and  it  was  no  use  to 
follow  them  now.  It  is  doubtful  if  one  man 
agreed  with  him  on  that  point,  as  no  one  be- 
lieved that  Quantrill  had  taken  any  start  of  us 
with  the  intention  of  making  an  escape.  We 
afterward  learned  that  this  was  no  mere  con- 
jecture, for  the  enemy  had  left  their  horses 
a  half  mile  beyond  the  hill,  and  had  made 
their  way  back  through  a  cornfield,  and  were 
waiting  at  the  hill  for  a  foe  that  never  came. 
It  was,  however,  a  victory  for  us  and  the 
people  of  that  locality.  Quantrill  disap- 
peared and  never  afterward  harassed  the 
people  of  Independence. 

After  returning  to  town  the  dead  and 
wounded  were  to  be  cared  for,  and  as 
we  had  no  ambulance,  light  wagons  were 
procured,  and  when  the  preparation  was 
being  made  details  in  small  squads  went  back 
to  pick  up  the  camp  equipments  we  had  so 
unceremoniously  left  at  the  stack-pen. 


My  First  Skirmish  63 

About  three  o'clock  we  said  good-by  to 
Independence,  with  the  loss  of  one  soldier 
killed  and  three  or  four  scouts  killed  and 
wounded.  As  we  were  riding  back  to  Kan- 
sas City  someone  told  me  about  the  detail 
being  stationed  in  town  to  do  guard  duty;  the 
man  we  met  at  the  bars  and  the  one  killed  on 
the  road  being  a  part  of  that  one  going  to 
warn  us,  and  the  other  having  been  captured 
and  taken  away  by  Quantrill's  men. 

By  forced  march  we  arrived  in  camp  about 
dark.  The  wagon-train  not  having  all  ar- 
rived, and  as  it  was  raining  more  or  less,  the 
command  was  compelled  to  remain  until  the 
mud  had  settled.  It  turned  cold,  however, 
and  froze  hard  enough  to  bear  the  horses  on 
top  of  the  crust.  It  was  my  misfortune  to  be 
detailed  on  picket  duty  one  of  the  cold  nights, 
and  it  was  not  much  improvement  on  the  first 
night  of  picket  duty  at  Platte  City.  We  con- 
tinually heard  reports  of  intended  night  at- 
tacks, and  we  were  required  to  remain  in  the 
saddle  and  keep  quiet  all  night.  It  was  not 
considered  necessary  to  keep  pickets  out  dur- 
ing the  day,  as  there  was  no  large  force  near 
and  a  small  force  would  not  venture  to  attack 
so  large  a  force  in  open  day. 

We  were  now  duly  initiated  and  accepted, 
and  we  were  considered  competent  to  take 
part  in  frontier  warfare.  We  came  in  daily 
contact  with  ways  and  customs  new  and  odd 
to  us,  and  with  a  conglomeration  of  peo- 
ple, such  as  the  ex-slave,  Indians  of  vari- 


64         Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

ous  tribes,  Mexicans  and  other  foreigners  that 
hailed  from  every  corner  of  the  globe — people 
who  had  come  to  the  New  World  seeking 
fortune  or  adventure.  We  soon  became  fa- 
miliar with  their  ways,  and  were  treated  to 
many  exhibitions  of  skilled  horsemanship, 
marksmanship  with  gun  and  revolver,  throw- 
ing the  lasso  and  such  things.  Among  the 
most  noted  of  these  reckless,  all-around  per- 
formers was  a  Texan  whose  raven  black  hair 
covered  his  shoulders.  While  riding  at  full 
speed  he  would  gracefully  drop  down,  hook 
the  rowel  of  his  spur  in  the  cantle  of  the  sad- 
dle, and  drag  his  hair  on  the  ground.  For 
hours  at  a  time  we  sat  and  watched  the  per- 
formances of  these  men  and  listened  to  the 
stories  of  the  daring  deeds  accomplished  along 
the  Kansas  and  Missouri  line  between  1856 
and  1862.  We  also  learned  the  names  of  many 
things  about  the  equipment  in  daily  use  by  the 
Western  people. 

When  the  mud  had  settled  we  moved  out, 
keeping  the  route  that  had  been  followed  by 
Colonel  Denison  the  year  before.  It  lies  on 
the  Missouri  side  of  the  line.  All  that  was 
left  to  remind  one  that  the  country  had  pre- 
viously been  inhabited  were  a  few  fence  rails, 
orchards,  and  the  old-fashioned  chimneys  that 
stood  to  mark  the  places  where  the  planters' 
houses  had  been. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  State  line  we  were 
greeted  by  the  troops  stationed  there,  amongst 
them  the  Tenth  Kansas  Infantry,  many  of  its 


My  First  Skirmish  65 

members  being  from  Ohio,  our  old  neighbors 
and  schoolmates.  Some  of  them  had  settled 
in  Kansas,  and  others  had  enlisted  in  Ohio 
with  the  express  purpose  of  joining  and  cam- 
paigning with  the  noted  Jim  Lane  in  the 
year  1861.  They  had  been  in  the  West  a  long 
distance  from  home  and  far  from  railroads  for 
many  months,  and  were  greatly  rejoiced  at  see- 
ing so  many  from  their  old  homes.  It  had 
been  some  months  since  we  had  been  at  home, 
but  the  news  we  brought  was  new  to  them. 
The  scenes  of  boyhood  days  returned  fresh  to 
our  memory  as  we  sat  by  the  camp  fire  and 
talked  of  home  and  friends  we  had  not  seen 
for  so  long,  many  of  whom  we  were  destined 
never  to  meet  again.  It  would  be  impossible 
to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  feelings  the 
rehearsal  of  the  tales  of  the  schoolboy  days 
awakened  in  the  bosoms  of  those  strong  men 
who  had  entered  upon  a  life  of  the  most  in- 
tense hardship,  privation,  and  almost  certain 
death.  It  is  not  likely  that  a  similar  oppor- 
tunity will  ever  be  offered  to  the  coming  gen- 
erations. The  country  is  now  settled  with 
many  improvements,  interspersed  with  cities, 
towns,  and  villages,  with  a  network  of  rail- 
roads and  telegraph  lines.  At  that  time  west 
of  the  Missouri  line  was  a  vast  plain,  the  most 
of  which  was  prairie  covered  with  buffalo, 
deer,  antelope,  myriads  of  small  game,  and 
the  favorite  haunt  of  the  red  man.  Travel 
was  by  the  use  of  private  conveyances,  and 
was  tedious  and  uncertain.  The  distances 


66          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

from  place  to  place  were  frequently  very  long. 
The  teams  employed,  often  oxen,  became  tired, 
and  had  to  be  rested,  or  long  delays  were  oc- 
casioned by  swollen  streams.  The  utmost  cau- 
tion and  watchfulness  were  necessary  to  keep 
the  stock  from  straying  away  or  being  driven 
off  by  the  Indians  or  border  ruffians  who  in- 
fested the  country.  It  is  hard  to  realize  the 
difference  between  thirty-five  years  ago  and 
to-day.  Where  you  now  count  your  traveling 
by  hours  as  you  glide  over  the  rails,  you  then 
counted  it  by  weeks  and  often  months.  Hun- 
dreds started,  never  to  reach  their  destination, 
leaving  their  bones  to  decay  on  the  bleaching 
plains. 

The  only  public  conveyance  used  on  the 
military  roads  between  the  forts  was  the  lum- 
bering stage-coach  drawn  by  four  or  six  ani- 
mals. The  stages  carried  the  mail  and  the 
Government  officers  from  post  to  post.  As 
they  had  to  contend  with  some  of  the  difficul- 
ties that  beset  the  private  conveyances,  they 
were  often  delayed,  sometimes  plundered  of 
everything  of  any  value,  and  left  to  make  their 
way  as  best  they  could. 

The  troops  at  the  State  line  were  compelled 
to  depend  upon  their  own  efforts  in  great 
measure  for  their  supplies,  which  were  se- 
cured and  brought  from  Missouri,  and  these 
supplies  were  often  confiscated  from  slave 
owners  and  Southern  sympathizers,  and  had 
to  be  brought  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles. 
Small  parties  of  ten  or  twelve  went  on  foot, 


My  First  Skirmish  67 

marching  by  night,  and  secreting  themselves 
by  day,  until  they  came  to  the  plantation 
where  was  an  abundance  of  such  things  as 
they  wanted.  They  would  then  make  their 
presence  known  to  the  slaves,  and  enlist  them 
as  confederates.  The  slaves  were  always  ready 
and  willing  accomplices,  for  it  meant  freedom 
for  them  to  gain  the  Kansas  line.  Two  or 
three  days  of  preparation  were  often  required. 
The  soldiers  were  always  secreted  in  some 
secure  place  until  the  time  arrived  to  move. 
When  everything  was  ready,  as  soon  as  it  was 
dark,  the  men  would  enter  the  planter's  house, 
take  possession  of  all  the  firearms,  turn  them 
over  to  the  blacks,  and  everything  on  the 
plantation  that  was  movable  was  set  in  mo- 
tion. The  blacks  would  hitch  up  the  teams, 
and  load  the  wagons  with  flour,  meat,  beans, 
potatoes — in  fact,  everything  that  was  of  any 
value.  By  morning  they  would  be  many 
miles  on  their  road.  Sometimes  the  planters 
would  collect  a  crowd,  follow,  and  attack 
them  in  an  effort  to  regain  the  lost  property; 
but  it  usually  proved  a  failure,  and  the  attack- 
ing party  suffered  heavy  loss.  The  men  who 
went  on  such  expeditions  were  brave  and  de- 
termined, and  armed  with  the  Sharp  rifle,  the 
best  that  was  in  use  at  that  time;  while  the 
Missourians  were  chiefly  armed  with  revol- 
vers, shotguns,  and  an  occasional  Kentucky 
rifle.  It  happened  now  and  then  that  a  force 
superior  in  number  was  able  to  accomplish 
its  object. 


68          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

I  listened  to  the  story  of  one  man  who  was 
with  a  party,  and,  while  on  the  road  with  their 
booty,  were  surrounded  by  superior  numbers, 
of  which  a  part  was  a  band  of  bushwhackers. 
After  a  hard-fought  battle  that  lasted  several 
hours,  they  made  their  escape  under  the  cover 
of  night  by  separating  to  meet  at  a  ford  known 
to  all  of  them  on  the  Osage  River.  They 
crawled  through  the  lines,  leaving  half  their 
number  and  many  of  the  blacks  dead  on  the 
field.  When  they  met  at  the  appointed  place, 
fatigued  and  reduced  to  the  small  number  of 
five,  they  were  in  a  deplorable  plight;  but  as 
the  only  object  of  their  expedition  was  sup- 
plies, to  return  to  camp  empty  handed  was  not 
to  be  thought  of.  They  at  once  set  off  on  a 
return  trip  to  the  settlements,  and  made  an- 
other effort  which  proved  more  successful. 

We  remained  at  the  State  line  several  days 
to  rest  the  teams,  which  were  very  much  fa- 
tigued from  dragging  the  heavily  loaded 
wagons  over  the  heavy  roads.  This  country 
was  destined  to  make  a  great  record  in  his- 
tory. It  was  here  John  Brown  commenced 
and  fought  the  border  war  of  1856,  which  had 
then  lasted  for  nearly  six  years. 

When  the  teams  had  rested  we  moved  to- 
ward the  south  until  we  reached  our  destina- 
tion. Our  principal  labor  was  camp  guard, 
with  a  few  scouting  parties  daily  sent  out  for 
one  purpose  or  another. 

We  finally  arrived  at  Fort  Scott,  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Marmiton  River. 


My  First  Skirmish  69 

Camp  was  pitched  on  Bourbon  Creek,  south 
of  the  fort.  Our  horses  were  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  everything  went  pretty  well  until 
the  rainy  season  set  in  during  the  latter  part 
of  March.  The  supply  of  grain  we  had 
brought  with  us  gave  out,  and  we  had  to  de- 
pend on  foraging  in  Missouri  for  a  supply. 
We  had  to  go  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  with 
the  heavy  roads  and  swollen  streams  there  was 
no  dependence  to  be  put  on  the  time  we 
would  return.  The  horses  were  put  on  short 
allowance,  often  not  having  more  than  four 
ears  of  corn  a  day.  These  were  given  at  two 
feeds,  with  no  fodder  of  any  kind.  Stand- 
ing in  the  mud,  they  began  to  fail  in  flesh  and 
strength,  and  were  soon  reduced  to  a  very  bad 
condition.  The  company  wagons  were  used 
to  haul  the  supply  of  wood  from  the  bottom 
of  the  Marmiton  River.  Each  company 
would  send  six  men  to  cut  and  load  the  wagon 
with  logs  and  poles  fourteen  or  fifteen  feet 
long.  The  team  would  return  to  camp  and 
come  for  another  load  after  dinner.  This 
work  fell  to  the  men  who  did  not  get  up  in 
time  to  answer  to  their  names  at  roll  call,  and 
was  a  great  benefit  to  the  horses,  for  they  got 
the  opportunity  to  be  released  from  the  muddy 
camp,  and  could  browse  the  now  spreading 
buds  and  tender  limbs.  Wishing  to  keep  my 
mare  in  the  best  possible  condition,  I  would 
lie  in  bed  every  morning  in  order  to  be  de- 
tailed with  the  wood-train.  The  plan  worked 
all  right  until  it  was  noticed  that  three  or  four 


70         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

were  going  every  day,  and  then  regular  de- 
tails were  made  that  all  might  have  an  equal 
opportunity.  There  was  some  joke  about  this 
change  of  front,  as  it  was  usually  considered 
a  penalty  for  being  tardy. 

When  working  with  the  wood-train  we 
learned  a  new  trick  that  was  of  some  benefit 
and  much  satisfaction  to  us,  if  it  was  not 
profitable  to  the  few  settlers  who  had  cows 
that  ranged  on  the  river.  Having  practiced 
more  or  less  with  the  lasso,  we  were  able  to 
catch  the  cows,  fill  our  canteens  with  milk, 
and  so  enjoyed  nourishment  and  luxury  com- 
bined. 

When  the  rainy  season  was  over  the  camp 
was  moved  to  a  flat  near  the  river.  The  grass 
sprang  up  rapidly,  and  half  of  the  men  would 
go  each  day  and  picket  the  horses,  and  remain 
with  them  all  day.  An  iron  spike  fourteen 
inches  long  with  a  link  on  one  end  to  which 
a  rope  was  attached  and  tied  to  the  halter,  was 
driven  into  the  ground,  and  ordinarily  was 
sufficient  to  hold  them.  But  one  day  Com- 
pany E's  horses  stampeded  and  broke  the 
ropes  or  pulled  the  pins  and  ran  away,  and  it 
was  some  hours  before  they  were  rounded  up. 
This  was  termed  picketing  the  horses.  Many 
pranks  and  various  kinds  of  sport  were  in- 
dulged in.  Some  of  the  boys  formed  ac- 
quaintance with  the  settlers,  and  went  to  dine 
with  them.  One  evening  when  our  company 
came  in  it  was  short  two  men.  Instead  of 
picketing  their  horses  they  had  obtained  leave 


My  First  Skirmish  Ji 

of  the  officers  in  charge  to  visit  some  friends 
living  on  the  Leavenworth  road,  some  dis- 
tance from  the  river.  We  were  not  held  to 
very  strict  discipline,  so  no  one  thought  it 
strange  when  the  men  did  not  answer  to  their 
names  at  retreat;  but  as  they  were  not  there 
at  tattoo,  they  were  reported  absent  without 
leave.  Next  morning  there  was  an  order  to 
send  after  them,  as  it  was  believed  by  some 
they  had  taken  that  plan  to  get  away,  and  were 
now  on  their  way  to  Ohio  with  twenty-four 
hours'  start.  Lieutenant  Rush,  Sergeant 
Harris,  Private  Nesbit,  and  myself  were  de- 
tailed to  go  in  pursuit. 

Our  horses  had  picked  up  a  little  on  the 
fresh  grass,  and  mine,  as  usual,  was  prancing, 
tossing  her  head,  trying  to  get  some  advantage 
in  order  to  run.  Lieutenant  Rush,  who  was 
fond  of  racing,  owned  a  good  horse  and  in- 
dulged in  the  sport  with  the  other  officers 
every  Saturday  on  a  track  that  had  been  pre- 
pared and  kept  by  the  regular  officers  at  the 
post.  After  we  had  got  out  of  camp  and  on 
the  way  he  said  that  an  officer  in  the  regiment 
had  a  horse  that  had  beat  his  and  he  wanted  to 
get  one  that  could  outrun  his  contestant's.  He 
asked  me  if  I  thought  my  mare  was  fast.  I 
assured  him  that  in  my  judgment  she  was; 
that  she  could  beat  anything  in  the  command. 
He  said  with  my  consent  he  would  place  a 
wager  on  her  when  we  returned.  I  gave  my 
consent,  and  then  the  conversation  turned  to 
the  mission  we  were  on. 


72         Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

We  laid  plans  to  leave  our  horses  at  Leaven- 
worth  and  take  the  cars  for  Ohio,  each  going 
home  to  search  the  locality  and  to  have  a  good 
time.  I  did  not  take  any  stock  in  the  opinion 
that  the  two  men  had  gone,  but  did  not  say 
as  much.  I  joined  in  with  the  plan  and  hoped 
we  would  miss  them,  and,  while  they  would 
be  back  in  camp,  we  would  make  the  trip. 
We  were  exultingly  planning,  but  we  were 
doomed  to  disappointment.  When  we  had 
traveled  four  miles  we  met  the  two  men  walk- 
ing quietly  and  unsuspectingly,  leading  their 
horses,  talking  and  laughing  about  the  good 
time  they  had  had  with  the  young  ladies  they 
had  been  visiting.  It  was  a  sore  disappoint- 
ment to  us,  but  had  to  be  endured,  and  we  re- 
turned to  camp  with  our  prisoners.  The  next 
Saturday  night  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  my  animal  had  outrun  the  fastest 
horse  owned  by  the  officers  of  the  regiment. 

The  weather  was  now  fine,  the  prairies 
were  covered  with  green  grass  and  beautiful 
flowers,  which  made  camp  life  as  pleasant  as 
it  is  possible  to  be.  Papworthe  would  blow 
the  horn  for  reveille,  and  then  treat  us  to  the 
tune  of  "  Annie  Laurie,"  or  some  other  melody 
which  he  could  render  to  the  queen's  taste. 

Our  revolvers  and  guns  still  contained  the 
old  loads  that  had  been  placed  in  them  some 
weeks  before,  and  for  fear  the  wet  weather  had 
damaged  them,  there  was  an  order  to  shoot 
them  out  and  clean  and  reload  them.  Some 
of  the  companies  went  out  and  fired  at  targets 


My  First  Skirmish  73 

set  up  for  the  purpose;  others  stood  in  line 
and  fired  in  the  air.  Our  captain  ordered  us 
to  shoot  ours  at  will.  With  this  opportunity 
I  went  to  the  river  bottom  in  order  to  see  how 
good  a  marksman  I  was.  After  tacking  a 
piece  of  white  paper  on  a  tree  and  stepping 
off  fifty  paces,  I  began  to  fire.  After  two  or 
three  shots,  and,  as  I  raised  the  hammer  to 
take  another  shot,  a  man  with  a  book  or  paper 
sat  down  by  a  tree  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  directly  in  line  with  my  target.  I  con- 
cluded to  change  my  position,  and  as  I  walked 
away  I  accidentally  touched  the  trigger  and 
discharged  my  revolver.  The  ball  just  grazed 
the  heel  of  my  boot.  Fortunately  no  damage 
was  done.  It  taught  me  a  lesson  never  again 
to  carry  a  revolver  with  the  hammer  set. 
After  emptying  all  the  chambers  I  walked 
along  the  river,  the  banks  of  which  are  very 
steep  and  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  high.  At 
length  I  came  to  a  narrow  path  that  by  tramp- 
ing of  stock  and  rains  had  cut  deep  into  the 
loose  soil.  I  saw  a  man  riding  down  the  op- 
posite bank,  and  watched  him  as  he  sat  in  the 
saddle  and  let  his  horse  drink.  As  he  came 
by  me  he  said,  "  Young  man,  you  are  standing 
on  a  very  noted  spot.  Every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  Bourbon  County  has  seen  or 
heard  of  that  ground."  On  inquiry  as  to  why 
it  had  become  so  noted  he  said,  "  Two  brothers 
died  there.  Their  father,  who  had  lived  at 
Fort  Scott,  had  left  them  a  large  amount  of 
property,  and  they  had  disagreed  about  the 


74         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

division  of  it,  and  become  mortal  enemies. 
One  day  one  was  coming  and  the  other  was 
going  across  the  river.  They  met  in  that  nar- 
row path,  and,  like  the  brave  McPherson  and 
Grant,  neither  would  give  the  road  to  the 
other.  They  dismounted,  drew  their  knives, 
went  together,  and  died  on  the  spot." 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    INDIAN    EXPEDITION 

THE    troops    then    gathering    at    Fort 
Scott,    preparatory    to    a    movement 
into  the  Indian  Territory,   required 
the  use  of  every  available  wagon  to 
transport  their  supplies,  and  the  cavalry  was 
ordered  to  Missouri,  where  forage  could  be 
more  easily  procured.     They  were  separated 
by  battalions,  ours  going  to  Lamar. 

Picket  duty  had  to  be  resumed  at  this  place, 
there  being  numerous  bands  of  bushwhackers 
in  the  locality.  We  were  compelled  to  be 
vigilant,  for  reports  were  brought  into  camp 
that  they  were  determined  to  have  the  horses 
from  the  Second  Ohio  Cavalry.  At  this  time 
we  did  not  do  that  duty  in  the  usual  way  be- 
cause of  their  peculiar  method  of  attack.  Al- 
though there  were  no  pickets  in  daytime,  the 
night  trick  meant  twelve  hours  in  the  saddle 
for  the  vidette. 

It  was  considered  a  great  protection  to  re- 
main in  one  position  and  stay  quiet  all  night, 
and  it  was  the  custom  to  place  the  vidette  on 
high  ground  as  a  proper  position  for  day  duty. 
The  first  night  it  was  my  turn  to  go  out  on 
mounted  duty  the  officer  of  the  guard  with 
corporal  went  with  two  of  us  out  on  the  Car- 

75 


76         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

thage  road.  After  traveling  for  a  mile  and 
a  half  through  woods  with  underbrush  on  each 
side,  we  came  to  open  prairie  on  the  left  of 
the  road.  A  lone  tree  stood  out  on  the  prairie 
about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  woods. 
It  was  just  twilight  when  the  officer  and  cor- 
poral left  us  with  every  precaution  to  remain 
quiet  that  we  might  not  attract  the  attention 
of  the  bushwhackers.  It  was  believed  that 
they  would  not  attack  the  camp  without  first 
disposing  of  the  picket.  The  officer  and  the 
corporal  were  no  more  than  out  of  hearing 
than  we  remarked  to  each  other  that  we  did 
not  like  our  position.  It  was  about  the  full 
of  the  moon  and  the  open  ground  was  almost 
as  light  as  day,  the  shade  of  the  tree  helping, 
if  anything,  to  make  our  presence  more  con- 
spicuous to  anyone  that  might  happen  at  the 
edge  of  the  timber.  If  we  had  our  choice 
we  would  have  taken  our  position  in  the  edge 
of  the  brush  with  the  open  ground  in  front 
of  us.  This  would  give  us  a  superior  advan- 
tage over  anyone  that  approached  from  either 
direction;  but  situated  as  we  were  we  were 
easy  prey  if  the  bushwhackers  had  happened 
that  way. 

We  had  not  been  there  more  than  an  hour 
when  we  heard  a  noise  in  the  brush  across  the 
road  directly  opposite  us.  In  our  mind  it  was 
the  bushwhackers,  of  course.  The  noise  con- 
tinued at  intervals,  and  we  expected  to  be 
picked  off  from  our  saddles  as  soon  as  they 
could  get  a  position  to  make  sure  of  their 


The  Indian  Expedition  77 

game.  We  talked  it  all  over  in  a  low  voice 
not  much  above  a  whisper.  The  suspense 
was  terrible  to  bear.  Just  imagine  sitting 
and  waiting  a  death  sentence.  Hours  seemed 
like  days.  The  cold  chills  crept  over  us  and 
our  hair  seemed  to  rise  up  every  time  the 
brush  rattled.  When  the  moon  was  straight 
over  us  two  animals  not  larger  than  jack  rab- 
bits jumped  out  of  the  brush,  one  apparently 
chasing  the  other.  Then  they  ran  back  again, 
making,  to  our  relief,  the  same  noise  we  had 
been  hearing.  We  continued  to  hear  the 
racket  until  morning,  but  we  felt  no  more 
uneasiness,  and  at  daylight  went  to  camp. 
We  talked  about  our  peculiar  position  on  the 
night  before,  and  learned  that  others  had 
found  themselves  in  the  same  unpleasant 
predicament.  All  agreed  that  the  sentinel 
should  be  on  the  low  ground  at  night. 

A  good  chance  presented  itself  in  a  few 
days  to  get  a  full  expression  on  the  subject. 
The  officer  of  the  guard  placed  a  vidette  on 
a  hill  looking  over  a  ravine,  but  he  moved 
some  hundred  yards  in  advance  of  where  he 
had  been  left.  The  officer  returned  during 
the  night,  and  was  halted  by  the  sentinel  when 
he  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill.  He  rebuked 
the  man  for  leaving  his  post  without  orders, 
had  him  take  his  place  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
again,  returned  to  the  reserve,  ordered  the 
corporal  to  arrest  the  sentinel,  and  put  another 
one  in  his  place. 

The  next  day  the  case  was  investigated  by 


78          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  major  commanding  the  battalion.  The 
man  was  released.  A  general  order  was  is- 
sued to  take  more  care  in  the  selection  of  out- 
posts, and,  if  there  was  any  advantage  in  lo- 
cation, it  should  be  in  our  favor.  After  that 
the  vidette  usually  chose  his  own  position. 
The  duty  was  heavy  while  in  camp  at  Lamar. 
It  was  an  everyday  occurrence  for  foraging 
and  scouting  parties  to  be  fired  on  from  am- 
bush. The  next  time  my  name  was  called  for 
picket  duty  there  was  also  an  extra  detail  for 
horse  guard.  Before  breaking  ranks  the  cap- 
tain told  the  men  on  duty  that  they  were 
expected  to  use  extraordinary  precaution. 
There  was  a  large  body  of  bushwhackers  as- 
sembling on  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  it 
was  reported  that  an  attack  would  be  made  on 
the  camp  that  or  the  next  night.  For  that 
reason  the  guard  had  been  doubled  through- 
out, and  they  would  be  expected  to  carry  their 
arms  at  all  times.  He  concluded  by  saying 
that  they  were  not  apt  to  attempt  to  cross  the 
river  at  the  ford,  where  there  was  a  strong 
guard,  but  would  try  some  other  place,  which 
would  be  done  in  skiffs  or  on  foot-logs,  that 
would  necessarily  put  them  into  the  swamp 
that  lay  between  the  river  and  camp  and  af- 
ford them  an  excellent  opportunity  to  come 
into  the  camp  unknown  to  us,  take  the  horses, 
and  get  away  before  we  could  do  anything  to 
prevent  it. 

After  breaking  ranks  the  sergeant  told  me 
to  make  no  preparation  except  to  have  my 


The  Indian  Expedition  79 

gun  in  good  order,  with  plenty  of  ammuni- 
tion, as  I  would  stand  dismounted  at  a  place 
he  would  show  me  when  the  proper  time 
came.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  the  sergeant 
took  me  and  we  wound  our  way  through  the 
woods  for  a  distance  of  half  a  mile.  He 
said,  "  This  is  the  place."  He  then  gave  me 
instructions  to  remain  there  during  the  night. 
He  continued  the  instructions  by  saying  if 
anyone  should  appear  in  the  swamp  I  was  to 
fire  the  alarm  and  return  to  camp  as  quickly 
as  possible,  or  if  there  should  be  firing  at  any 
other  place  that  would  indicate  an  attack  of 
any  importance.  Under  no  other  condition 
was  I  to  move  or  make  a  noise  that  would 
assist  anyone  to  locate  my  position.  He  said 
there  need  be  no  one  to  visit  me  during  the 
night,  for  no  one  but  the  major  and  himself 
knew  anything  about  my  location. 

And  there  he  left  me  in  solitude  dreary 
enough;  on  low  ground,  in  a  dense  forest,  a 
swamp  in  front  with  myriads  of  croaking 
frogs,  swarms  of  musquitoes,  and  thousands 
of  screeching  whippoorwills  and  crickets  to 
make  night  hideous.  It  was  a  calm  moon- 
light night,  with  not  a  breath  of  air  to  stir 
the  leaves.  The  long  specter-like  shadows 
that  reached  out  across  the  brush  that  grew 
in  the  swamp  only  lent  a  loneliness  to  the 
dreary  scene.  There  was  a  hostile  and  deter- 
mined enemy,  so  far  as  my  information  and 
imagination  went,  beyond  the  swamp.  Being, 
as  I  was,  at  the  logical  point  of  attack,  of 


80          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

course  there  was  little  possibility  that  I  would 
be  permitted  to  remain  until  morning.  I  sat 
by  a  large  tree,  wrapped  in  thought  of  my 
dreary  surroundings,  and  reflecting  upon  the 
possibility  of  escape  should  my  conjectures 
prove  to  be  reality.  I  pictured  the  enemy 
stealthily  felling  trees  across  the  river  and 
crossing  over  to  the  swamp,  which  they  would 
consider  a  sure  protection  and  cover  for  their 
movement  until  they  were  in  our  camp.  Of 
course  I  would  be  sure  to  thwart  them  in  their 
adventure,  for  they  would  come  blundering 
through  the  swamp,  jumping  from  tussock  to 
tussock.  I  would  discover  them,  fire  on  them, 
and  alarm  the  camp,  which  would  be  in  arms 
ready  to  receive  them.  My  ruminations  even 
went  so  far  as  to  plan  how  cautiously  I  would 
approach  the  camp,  calling  out  who  I  was  to 
prevent  them  from  firing,  as  that  would  di- 
vulge their  presence  to  the  enemy,  who  would 
then  take  the  best  aim  and  get  a  man  with 
every  shot. 

I  was  getting  along  nicely,  when  splash 
went  something  in  the  water  some  distance 
from  me,  and  my  whole  plan  went  to  smither- 
eens. My  flesh  began  to  crawl,  my  hair  rose 
up,  and  my  mind  was  so  completely  muddled 
that  it  was  impossible  to  form  anything  like 
two  links  of  thought.  If  I  had  seen  an  enemy 
it  is  doubtful  if  I  could  have  moved  a  muscle 
until  a  reaction  set  in.  After  a  few  seconds 
my  thoughts  began  to  return.  I  thought  what 
a  pity  to  turn  a  splendid  victory  into  defeat 


The  Indian  Expedition  8 1 

without  a  plausible  excuse.  I  still  believed 
the  splash  was  caused  by  the  blundering  of 
some  of  the  advancing  bushwhackers,  who 
had  now  had  plenty  of  time  to  cross  the  swamp 
since  the  felling  of  the  trees.  It  kept  me  in 
a  continual  strain  until  minutes  appeared  as 
hours,  and  hours  as  days.  At  last,  when 
morning  came,  I  felt  twenty  years  older, 
wearily  strolled  to  camp,  dropped  down  on 
the  blankets,  and  went  to  sleep  without  any 
breakfast,  to  dream  of  the  spirit  of  him  that 
had  a  peculiar  ear  that  induced  him  to  write 
the  lines  about  the  low,  sweet  voice  of  the 
whippoorwill. 

The  regular  detail  already  mentioned  in- 
cluded but  a  small  part  of  the  duty  we  had 
to  perform.  There  were  horse  guards,  dis- 
mounted camp  guards,  scouting  and  foraging 
parties,  upon  each  of  which  we  had  to  take 
our  regular  turn.  It  was  not  an  uncommon 
thing  to  be  relieved  from  guard  at  nine  o'clock, 
and  before  night  to  be  called  to  the  saddle 
to  make  a  forced  ride.  I  remember  two  dis- 
tinct times  this  happened  to  me  while  in  the 
camp  near  Lamar.  One  of  these  was  the  very 
day  after  my  long  night  by  the  swamp.  At 
one  o'clock  Quartermaster-Sergeant  Mason, 
with  a  prisoner,  rode  into  camp  on  a  jaded 
horse,  from  which  the  foam  was  dropping  to 
the  ground,  and  wanted  reinforcements  with 
an  ambulance  to  bring  in  his  dead  and 
wounded  comrades. 

A  foraging  party  that  had  left  the  camp  in 


82          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  morning  had,  been  attacked  at  a  creek 
about  twenty  miles  away.  We  saddled  up, 
and  by  dark  arrived  near  the  scene,  but  as  we 
had  no  one  with  us  who  knew  the  country 
we  were  unable  to  find  the  unfortunate  party 
until  the  next  morning.  This  trip  was  made 
by  trotting,  and  often  galloping  our  horses. 
My  animal  was  a  very  rough  trotter,  which 
brought  on  a  pain  in  my  left  side  that  con- 
tinued to  bother  me  during  the  rest  of  the  time 
I  served  in  the  army.  I  was  often  compelled 
to  hang  my  side-arms  on  the  saddle  instead  of 
wearing  them. 

At  another  time  we  were  ordered  to  saddle 
up  at  dark.  Someone  had  come  to  camp  for 
a  party  to  go  forty  miles  to  capture  the  chief 
of  a  noted  band  of  guerrillas  that  was  at  his 
home  on  a  visit  to  his  family.  The  party  was 
led  by  Captain,  afterward  Colonel,  Brooks, 
the  noted  scout  and  guide.  The  forty  miles 
was  covered  and  the  house  surrounded  before 
daybreak,  and  a  charge  made.  We  could 
hear  shots  about  the  house,  the  result  of  which 
we  were  never  able  to  learn,  as  we  marched 
away  before  it  was  fairly  light.  At  the  first 
plantation  we  came  to  we  took  a  rest,  and  by 
the  next  morning  reached  our  camp. 

The  place  where  we  rested  was  a  typical 
frontier  ranch  with  double  log-house,  with 
log  stables,  and  corn-cribs  well  filled  with 
corn  and  fodder,  to  which  we  helped  our- 
selves. This  was  the  common  custom  and 
had  become  a  matter  of  course  with  us.  The 


The  Indian  Expedition  83 

owner,  if  a  Union  man,  could  get  his  pay, 
and  if  he  was  "  Secesh  "  he  was  not  likely  to 
make  any  complaint.  These  excursions  were 
of  so  common  occurrence  that  I  seldom  re- 
membered one  from  another,  often  not  know- 
ing the  name  of  the  officer  in  command,  and 
much  less  the  man  that  handled  the  minor  de- 
tails. 

The  method  then  in  use  for  this  work 
was  a  cumbersome  one,  and  it  took  from  one 
hour  to  two  hours  to  get  ready  and  move  out. 
When  a  corporal  called  for  a  detail  to  do 
duty  and  did  not  know  his  men,  he  often  had 
much  trouble  to  find  them.  This  caused 
much  annoyance,  not  only  to  the  corporal  but 
to  everyone  in  the  party,  for  he  would  go 
about  pulling  the  blankets  from  the  sleeping 
men,  and  often  the  man  he  wanted  was  the  last 
to  be  found.  I  have  known  a  corporal  to  take 
the  names  of  his  relief,  and,  by  misunder- 
standing, misspell  the  names,  and  when  he 
called  third  relief  the  men  fell  in  line,  and  in 
calling  the  names  as  he  had  written  them  the 
men  did  not  know  their  own  names.  This 
method  was  soon  abandoned  and  a  much  more 
convenient  one  adopted.  Instead  of  an  hour 
and  a  half  being;  wasted,  the  detail  would  be 
out  of  camp  and  on  the  march  in  fifteen  min- 
utes. This  was  done  by  the  companies  taking 
turn  instead  of  details  from  different  com- 
panies. While  the  men  saddled  up,  the  cap- 
tain would  get  his  instructions  from  head- 
quarters. Officers  and  men  being  acquainted 


84         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

with  each  other,  the  officer  would  know  where 
to  find  his  men. 

We  returned  to  Fort  Scott  to  join  the  ex- 
pedition, but  they  were  not  ready  to  move, 
and  one  battalion  of  the  Second  Ohio  under 
Major  Seward  returned  to  Missouri,  and 
some  time  in  June  the  expedition  rendez- 
voused at  Fort  Scott,  consisting  of  two  bri- 
gades of  white  troops  and  1000  Indians,  moved 
out.  Their  destination  was  Fort  Gibson,  situ- 
ated on  the  Arkansas  River  in  the  Cherokee 
nation.  The  cavalry,  going  by  the  route  that 
led  through  Humboldt,  left  all  settlements, 
touching  two  or  three  abandoned  Indian  mis- 
sions and  an  occasional  stock  ranch  occupied 
by  half-breeds.  These  ranches  were  always 
situated  on  a  river  or  creek  where  there  were 
both  timber  and  prairie. 

One  part  of  the  troops  on  this  expedition 
consisted  of  1000  Osage  Indians.  They  were 
regularly  enlisted,  armed  with  the  Kentucky 
rifle,  and  organized  with  white  officers.  They 
were  accompanied  by  their  squaws  and  pa- 
pooses, and  they  had  their  ponies  and  all  their 
equipments.  They  danced  the  war  dance  all 
night  at  the  Verdigris  River,  the  night  before 
the  battle  of  Round  Prairie,  and  also  at  Flat 
Rock  Creek. 

The  command  lay  over  on  the  Fourth  of 
July,  and  the  battery  in  firing  a  salute  threw 
a  few  shells  over  the  Indian  camp,  as  a  test 
to  see  how  they  would  stand  the  fire  of  big 
guns.  The  result  was  that  they  stampeded, 


The  Indian  Expedition  85 

and  some  of  the  runaways  did  not  return  for 
fifteen  days. 

After  crossing  the  Verdigris  River  we  met 
and  engaged  Stanwaity  at  Round  Prairie. 
After  a  short  skirmish  he  retreated,  and  the 
Second  Ohio  captured  their  beef  herd,  with 
ponies  and  pack-mules,  twelve  hundred  in 
number.  Lieutenant  Rush  of  Company  E 
was  a  professional  stock  man.  He  was  de- 
tailed to  take  what  men  he  wanted  from  our 
company  and  deliver  the  cattle  to  the  beef  con- 
tractor at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  a  distance  of 
sixty  miles.  We  moved  at  noon,  and  when  the 
herd  strung  out  on  the  road  the  strong  cattle 
as  usual  took  the  lead.  Lieutenant  Rush, 
being  an  expert  in  his  business,  with  plenty 
of  help,  divided  his  men  into  small  squads, 
each  under  the  command  of  a  sergeant.  He 
cut  the  herd  into  small  bunches  and  pushed 
them  along.  We  had  in  that  way  covered  a 
distance  of  many  miles  at  ten  o'clock,  when 
we  camped  for  supper.  The  cattle  were 
turned  on  the  prairies  to  graze.  Many  of 
the  boys  from  Ohio  had  no  experience  with 
cattle,  and  the  cavalry  horse  was  also  awk- 
ward. The  cattle,  used  to  being  handled  in 
the  Texas  style,  discovered  this  very  quickly, 
and  when  we  rounded  them  on  the  bed 
ground,  they  gave  so  much  trouble  that  cattle 
and  men  got  no  rest.  At  this  juncture  an  am- 
bulance came  up,  carrying  Colonel  Double- 
day  on  his  way  home.  He  had  resigned  his 
commission,  and  was  now  a  citizen.  He 


86         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

brought  orders  to  Lieutenant  Rush  to  push  on 
as  fast  as  possible,  for  Stanwaity's  cavalry 
were  on  a  scout,  and  were  expecting  to  over- 
take and  recapture  the  herd. 

The  cattle  were  put  on  the  road  at  once, 
and  at  sunrise  we  camped  at  Dry  Creek,  twelve 
miles  from  Fort  Scott.  While  making  some 
coffee,  the  beef  contractors,  whom  Colonel 
Doubleday  had  notified  of  our  approach,  rode 
up  with  a  spring  wagon.  This  was  a  big 
plum  for  them,  and  when  they  got  the  news 
that  we  were  on  the  road  they  supplied  them- 
selves with  six  demijohns  of  old  Bourbon. 
When  they  met  us  it  flowed  freely.  Every- 
one must  drink  as  often  as  he  wanted.  Some 
men  took  the  first  drink  they  had  ever  tasted, 
and  became  very  hilarious.  It  was  decided 
to  drive  in  without  breakfast.  The  mess  kit 
was  tossed  into  the  wagon,  and  the  men  met 
us  at  Bourbon  Creek  and  took  charge  of  the 
herd. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  form  a  cor- 
rect conception  of  the  enthusiasm  aroused  on 
that  occasion,  it  is  necessary  to  give  a  little 
better  description  of  that  drive.  I  have 
been  engaged  in  cow  hunting  on  the  fron- 
tiers of  Texas,  made  three  trips  across  the 
plains,  and  had  some  lively  drives  many  years 
afterward.  Some  of  the  movements  were 
accelerated  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  hos- 
tile Indians  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  herd, 
but  none  compared  with  this  one  for  speed, 
efficiency,  and  hilarity.  Although  we  had 


G.  W.  BYAKD 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING    86 


The  Indian  Expedition  87 

made  more  than  double  the  distance  of  an 
ordinary  day's  drive  before  camping,  the 
news  that  Stanwaity's  cavalry  was  no  doubt 
then  in  the  saddle  and  in  pursuit  prompted 
us  to  an  extraordinary  effort  to  keep  out  of 
their  way.  Our  party  was  not  strong  enough 
to  defend  the  cattle  against  an  attack  if 
one  should  be  made,  and  the  cattle  would 
have  to  be  abandoned  in  order  to  protect 
ourselves.  The  mess-kit  was  thrown  hastily 
and  recklessly  into  the  wagon,  and  the  cat- 
tle strung  out.  All  were  in  good  spirits, 
laughed,  sang,  and  shouted.  The  last  twelve 
miles  was  a  wild  ride.  It  was  most  ridicu- 
lous after  taking  the  drink  with  the  beef 
contractor.  The  rapidity  of  the  move  and  the 
rough  manner  of  loading  the  kit  into  the  mess- 
wagons  cannot  be  compared  with  anything  I 
have  seen  or  heard  of  before  or  since.  The 
cattle  appeared  to  catch  the  spirit  of  their 
drivers.  The  first  squad  pushed  their  bunch 
on  to  the  road  at  full  run,  men  shouting,  and 
charging  their  horses  at  full  speed,  and  a 
cloud  of  dust  rose  that  soon  put  them  out  of 
sight;  and  so  on  until  the  last  of  the  five 
bunches  was  on  the  full  run. 

At  Fort  Scott  the  army  was  being  paid  off 
by  the  paymaster,  who  had  arrived  before 
us.  When  the  troops  had  all  been  paid  they 
moved  south,  and  would  usually  camp  as 
near  the  water  as  possible,  which  was  gen- 
erally in  holes  of  what  had  been  a  river  or 
creek,  and  on  the  valleys  of  which  the  grass 


88          Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

had  grown  tall  and  coarse.  The  horses  were 
taken  out  to  the  high  ground  for  grazing, 
with  one-fourth  of  the  men  to  herd  them. 

One  morning  they  came  in  with  my  picket 
rope,  but  no  mare.  After  searching  the  camp 
without  success  my  horse  equipments  were  put 
in  the  mess-wagon,  and  I  walked,  and  helped 
the  cook  to  get  wood  and  water.  Four  days 
after  I  went  to  the  creek,  at  least  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  away,  carrying  two  large  camp- 
kettles.  The  Second  Kansas  cavalry  horses 
were  passing.  I  saw  my  mare  so  completely 
jaded  that  she  stumbled  as  she  walked,  and 
the  points  of  her  ears  were  hanging  down.  I 
was  so  excited  I  dropped  the  kettles,  ran  up, 
and  untied  her  from  the  other  horse  that  was 
being  led  with  her.  The  man  leading  her 
said  she  did  not  belong  to  him.  I  told  him 
he  had  better  not  claim  her.  I  forgot  every- 
thing else,  and  led  her  to  camp  without  water. 
When  I  arrived  at  the  wagon  and  explained 
how  I  had  got  her,  I  thought  of  the  camp- 
kettles,  and  went  back,  to  find  them  gone.  I 
had  to  return  to  camp  for  other  kettles  and  to 
make  another  trip  for  the  water.  This  nat- 
urally delayed  dinner,  and  I  was  completely 
exhausted  after  making  so  many  long  trips 
in  the  hot  sun. 

I  lay  down  on  the  hot  ground  under  the 
wagon.  When  I  looked  at  my  poor  animal, 
in  which  I  had  taken  so  much  pride,  and 
saw  her  standing  with  her  head  down,  too 
tired  to  eat,  with  the  crust  of  dry  sweat  and 


The  Indian  Expedition  89 

dust  that  showed  the  hard  usage  and  the  little 
care  she  had  had  for  the  last  four  days,  I 
would  cry  and  blame  myself  in  turns  for  not 
following  the  company  of  horses,  and  finding 
the  man  that  had  ridden  her.  She  must  have 
been  on  a  long  trip,  for  the  horses  she  was 
with  did  not  look  so  bad. 

In  the  morning  I  saddled  up,  but  my  poor 
mare  was  destined  to  be  more  of  a  burden 
than  benefit.  We  had  no  grain  to  feed,  and 
had  had  none  since  we  left  Missouri.  All  the 
horses  in  our  regiment  began  to  show  it  more 
than  the  others,  from  the  fact  that  it  was  their 
first  year,  and  they  had  not  become  accli- 
mated to  western  prairies. 

From  that  time  on  the  horses  were  giving 
out  all  the  time,  and  were  shot  or  abandoned. 

When  we  arrived  at  Flat  Rock  Creek  the 
army  went  into  camp,  where  it  remained  for 
several  weeks.  After  a  few  days'  rest  a  cav- 
alry raid  in  light  marching  order  was  moved 
out  to  make  a  feint  on  Price's  left  by  driving 
Stanwaity  out  of  Fort  Gibson.  It  was  light 
marching  order  sure  enough,  with  no  grain 
for  the  stock  and  no  rations  but  sugar,  coffee, 
fresh  beef  with  no  salt,  and  half  rations  of 
hard  tack.  My  mare  had  recruited,  or  at 
least  had  rested  a  little,  and  I  went  with  them. 

The  column  moved  out  after  dark  one  night, 
with  Colonel  Ware,  who  was  then  in  com- 
mand of  the  expedition.  I  do  not  know  what 
he  had  to  eat,  but  I  know  he  had  a  ten-gallon 
keg  strapped  on  a  mule,  and  of  course  that 


90         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

means  he  did  not  lack  for  drink.  And  there 
was  plenty  of  evidence  of  it  before  morning, 
in  the  bungling  moves  made  on  the  prairie  in 
the  dark,  and  in  the  morning  we  were  hardly 
out  of  sight  of  the  camp. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Second  Ohio  was 
thrown  out  as  skirmishers,  and,  as  we  ad- 
vanced, Stanwaity's  men  fell  back  with  but 
little  resistance.  We  followed  them,  keeping 
the  best  line  we  could  through  the  thick  un- 
derbrush that  skirts  the  Arkansas  River. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  road  the  left  of  our 
line  had  crossed,  but  the  right  had  not  come  to 
it.  I  could  see  a  small  squad  of  calvary  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river.  They  were  firing 
a  few  shots  that  appeared  to  be  intended  for 
somebody  farther  up  the  road,  as  they  went 
far  above  my  head.  Just  in  front  of  me  was 
a  trooper  in  blue  uniform.  He  rode  out  and 
saluted,  and  said  he  belonged  to  the  Second 
Kansas  Cavalry,  and  had  been  down  in  Ar- 
kansas on  scout.  He  rode  off  in  the  rear  of 
our  skirmish  line. 

We  halted  there  until  a  regiment  of  Kan- 
sas cavalry  came  down  in  column,  crossed  the 
river,  and,  to  judge  from  the  sound  we  heard, 
they  had  a  skirmish,  driving  Stanwaity  out 
of  the  post.  We  then  moved  back  a  few 
miles  and  halted  for  a  rest,  and  resumed  the 
march,  following  the  belt  of  timber  that 
skirts  Flat  Rock  Creek. 

My  mare  was  now  very  weak  and  I  had 
to  walk,  and  later  in  the  night  she  refused  to 


The  Indian  Expedition  91 

move  at  all.  I  was  some  distance  behind  the 
column,  but  one  of  the  company  had  stayed 
with  me,  and  he  rode  up  and  reported  my 
condition  to  the  captain,  who  sent  me  word  to 
leave  her,  and  carry  the  saddle,  or  pay  for  it 
from  my  next  pay.  It  was  a  bitter  pill  just 
at  that  time,  when  everyone  expected  the 
enemy  to  overtake  or  intercept  us  at  any  mo- 
ment. Wakefield,  who  had  come  with  the 
message,  told  me  to  pull  the  saddle  off  quick, 
and  he  would  help  me  along.  "  No,"  was 
my  emphatic  reply.  "  Go  to  the  company  as 
quickly  as  you  can,  and  I  will  get  there  with- 


out assistance." 


By  the  time  the  sound  of  his  horse's 
hoofs  had  died  out,  the  sound  of  which  was  a 
dull  thud  on  my  ear,  I  had  learned  something 
new  in  the  makeup  of  human  nature.  It 
caused  a  peculiar  congested  sensation  that  I 
cannot  describe,  how  I  felt  when  I  was  or- 
dered to  carry  the  saddle  or  pay  for  it.  When 
those  words  fell  on  my  ear,  my  heart  was 
seared  against  all  fear  of  danger.  I  replied  to 
my  companion,  who  cautioned  me  about  fall- 
ing into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  that  it  would 
not  be  possible  to  fall  in  with  a  more  bitter 
enemy  than  the  one  who  had  issued  that  order. 
I  said  that  I  would  bring  in  the  saddle  or  die 
on  the  trail. 

The  column  had  left  the  timber  a  short  dis- 
tance from  where  I  left  the  mare,  and  it  was 
easy  to  follow  the  trail  on  the  soft  prairie. 
My  load  was  heavy,  and  it  had  to  be  let  down 


92         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

very  often  for  rest.  My  cavalry  boots,  now 
well  worn  out,  began  to  give  way  so  as  to  let 
in  the  dirt.  I  was  obliged  to  empty  them 
frequently,  because  it  was  galling  my  feet. 
The  more  I  tried  to  stop  the  holes  with  rags, 
the  larger  they  stretched. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  com- 
pletely exhausted,  I  lay  down  in  my  blanket 
and  fell  asleep.  When  I  awoke  the  sun 
was  up,  and  it  was  evident  that  I  was  within 
two  or  three  miles  of  camp,  which  was  to  my 
right.  The  column  had  gone  farther  out  on 
the  prairie.  There  was  a  round  knoll  near 
by.  I  hid  the  saddle  near  it,  left  the  trail, 
and  was  in  camp  as  soon  as  the  column. 

One  of  the  boys  volunteered  to  go  for  the 
saddle,  for  I  was  worn  out  and  foot  sore.  I 
had  been  without  water  for  several  hours, 
my  lips  were  parched,  and  my  tongue  swollen. 
But  although  I  had  firmly  resolved  to  bring 
the  saddle  in  myself,  I  finally  accepted  the 
offer.  After  giving  him  directions  how  to 
find  it,  I  lay  down  to  take  a  rest. 

From  this  time  on  there  was  a  great  change 
going  on  in  the  camp.  There  was  a  growing 
discontent  throughout.  We  had  no  prospect 
of  anything  better  than  flour,  and  no  way  to 
bake  it  except  in  frying-pans,  without  salt  or 
soda.  We  had  fresh  beef  in  abundance,  but 
without  seasoning  it  brought  on  dysentery  to 
all  who  ventured  to  eat  it. 

It  had  been  many  months  since  we  had  a 
chance  to  draw  clothing.  There  was  none 


The  Indian  Expedition  93 

at  the  front,  and  our  old  clothes  were  fast 
giving  out.  Some  of  the  ragged  shirts, 
blouses,  and  pants  were  discarded  every  day. 
The  men  on  duty  with  the  horses,  a  duty  at 
which  we  took  turns,  who  were  out  on  the 
high  open  ground,  had  no  shade  except  what 
they  made  by  stacking  the  guns  and  spreading 
blankets  over  them. 

From  this  kind  of  treatment  men  were 
dying  every  day  with  fevers,  dysentery,  and 
other  diseases.  The  best  of  men  became  sul- 
len and  disagreeable  to  one  another.  The 
condition  was  growing  worse  every  day,  un- 
til at  retreat  we  were  notified  to  make  ready 
to  march  on  a  forward  movement. 

The  dissatisfaction  that  existed  on  account 
of  the  maladministration  of  the  expedition 
was  soon  expressed  by  the  many  maledictions 
pronounced  as  soon  as  we  broke  ranks.  The 
men  rushed  hither  and  thither.  Some  even 
went  to  the  horse  herd,  a  mile  and  half 
away,  to  express  their  dissatisfaction  to  their 
friends  on  duty.  It  was  soon  learned  that  the 
dissatisfaction  extended  throughout  the  bri- 
gade among  officers  and  men  alike,  and  it  was 
very  evident  that  something  decisive  would 
be  done  to  prevent  a  move  until  the  arrival 
of  a  train  with  supplies. 

Colonel  Solomon's  regiment,  the  Ninth 
Wisconsin,  felt  the  want  of  rations.  They 
had  always  had  not  only  the  common  fare 
such  as  we  got,  but  had  everything  allowed  in 
the  line  of  army  rations,  including  butter, 


94         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

kraut,  pickles,  etc.,  furnished  from  Wisconsin 
and  paid  for  by  a  mess  fund.  The  Colonel 
felt  the  sting  of  seeing  his  men  falling  victims 
to  the  ravages  of  disease  that  was  daily  carry- 
ing them  off  to  answer  the  last  roll  call. 
Colonel  Solomon  was  in  command  of  the  Sec- 
ond Brigade,  consisting  of  the  Ninth  Wiscon- 
sin Infantry,  Rab's  Indiana  Battery,  and  Sec- 
ond Ohio  Cavalry.  Colonel  Ware  was  in 
command  of  the  First  Brigade,  and  also  the 
entire  expedition,  so  Colonel  Solomon  went 
to  him  and  made  a  plea  for  delay  until 
the  arrival  of  supplies;  but  as  there  was 
not  a  satisfactory  response  he  returned  to 
his  tent  to  study  the  situation  over.  After 
reporting  his  brigade  at  tattoo  he  repeated  his 
entreaties,  and  asked  Colonel  Ware  what  the 
men  were  to  live  on. 

"Jerked  beef,  damn  you!  If  you  have  any 
more  communications,  send  them  to  me  in 
writing,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  Go  to 
your  quarters  and  remain  until  sent  for." 
He  returned  as  ordered,  but  on  his  arrival 
he  called  the  officer  of  the  guard,  gave  him 
orders  to  have  the  guard  fall  in  line,  march 
to  Colonel  Ware's  quarters,  arrest  him  and 
bring  him  to  Colonel  Solomon's  quarters. 
By  the  time  they  reached  Colonel  Ware's 
quarters  he  had  retired  for  the  night. 

"  You  are  my  prisoner!  "  shouted  the  officer 
of  the  guard,  in  broken  English.  The  Ninth 
were  all  Germans,  and  used  the  German  lan- 
guage altogether  among  themselves.  Colonel 


The  Indian  Expedition  95 

Ware  refused  to  obey,  and  ordered  the  guard 
away,  but  the  officer,  in  German,  ordered  his 
men  to  take  him  dead  or  alive.  No  sooner 
said  than  done.  He  was  dragged  out  of  his 
tent,  and,  bayonets  behind  him,  he  double- 
quicked  in  his  bare  feet  and  nightshirt  to  Col- 
onel Solomon's  quarters. 

"  You  are  under  arrest,"  was  Colonel  Solo- 
mon's order.  "  Go  to  your  tent  and  remain 
there  till  further  orders."  Colonel  Ware  was 
frightened,  but  replied  that  he  was  the  supe- 
rior officer,  and  that  he  refused  to  take  orders 
from  him. 

Colonel  Solomon  ordered  the  officer  of  the 
guard  to  keep  Colonel  Ware  under  guard,  and 
if  he  made  any  trouble  to  put  him  in  irons. 
This  order  was  also  put  into  execution  at 
once. 

By  this  time  everything  in  camp  was  in  mo- 
tion. Some  were  getting  their  arms,  and  some 
running  for  the  horses.  The  infantry  fell  in 
with  fixed  bayonets ;  the  batteries  loaded  with 
grape  and  canister,  and  muzzles  turned  to- 
ward the  first  brigade. 

By  three  o'clock  the  army  was  on  the  move 
toward  Fort  Scott,  and  Colonel  Ware  was 
placed  in  an  ambulance  with  shackles  on. 

The  Second  Ohio  was  the  last  to  move, 
and  it  was  daylight  before  we  strung  out. 
There  were  many  dismounted  men,  of  whom 
ten  or  twelve  were  in  our  company.  As  the 
march  progressed  the  number  was  augmented 
every  day.  Five  of  us  were  barefooted,  two 


96         Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

of  whom  had  one  old  boot  each.  They  were 
Math  Park  and  Bissell.  One  wore  the  boots 
one  day  and  the  other  the  next.  On  the  third 
their  feet  were  so  swollen  that  neither  of  them 
could  get  the  boots  on. 

The  wagon-train,  that  was  six  miles  long 
when  we  left  Fort  Scott,  had  dwindled  down 
to  consist  of  the  regimental  headquarters  and 
company  wagons,  with  the  exception  of  three 
or  four  sections  of  twelve  wagons  each.  Our 
company  outfits  were  bulky  and  encumbered 
the  movements  very  much.  The  arms,  bed- 
ding, and  horse  equipments  of  the  sick  and 
dismounted  had  to  be  loaded.  The  wagons 
were  full  up  to  the  bows,  with  many  things 
hanging  on  the  outside. 

The  ground  was  as  loose  as  an  ash  pile,  and 
there  had  been  no  rain  for  two  months.  The 
clouds  of  dust  would  rise  up  from  under  the 
feet  of  the  thousands  of  animals  so  that  the  air 
was  often  stifling  and  blinding. 

In  some  places  the  grass  had  been  burned, 
and  in  crossing  these  places,  although  the 
barefooted  men  followed  the  wagon  track  as 
closely  as  possible,  the  splinters  would  stick 
in  their  feet  like  so  many  needles.  The  ashes 
of  the  burned  grass,  mixed  with  alkali, 
caused  our  feet  to  swell  and  crack  open  until 
they  bled  profusely.  As  I  hung  to  the  feed 
box  of  a  government  wagon,  I  thought  every 
step  must  be  my  last. 

The  water  had  dried  up  so  that  we  had  to 
change  the  route,  which  necessitated  our  go- 


The  Indian  Expedition  97 

ing  many  miles  farther.  Much  of  the  way 
there  was  no  road,  and  a  new  one  had  to  be 
broken.  The  distance  between  the  water  holes 
was  great.  In  one  instance  it  was  forty  miles, 
which  required  about  forty-eight  hours'  time, 
including  stops,  to  feed  and  rest. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  water,  Indians, 
Mexicans,  negroes,  whites,  with  mules  and 
horses,  plunged  into  it,  stirring  the  green  scum 
which  was  two  or  three  inches  thick  on  top 
of  what  little  water  there  was,  with  the  sedi- 
ment from  the  bottom.  All  was  soon  a  thin 
mortar.  Both  animals  and  men  were  so  dis- 
tracted for  the  want  of  something  to  slake  their 
thirst  that  they  crowded  in  so  thick  that  many 
could  not  get  their  heads  down,  and  others 
that  had  shoved  their  heads  under  were  brac- 
ing forward  for  fear  they  would  be  crowded 
out. 

They  quaffed  the  mud  down  as  if  it  was 
good.  I  noticed  one  man  slip  his  feet  down 
between  a  horse  and  the  bank.  With  his  left 
shoulder  against  the  horse's  leg  he  pushed  it 
forward,  and  with  his  right  hand  he  dipped  a 
cupful  from  where  the  horse's  foot  had  been, 
and  without  changing  his  position,  except  to 
throw  his  head  back,  he  drank  as  if  it  had 
been  of  the  finest  nectar.  A  second  one  fol- 
lowed the  first,  and  a  third  cupful  he  brought 
away  with  him. 

When  we  arrived  at  Baxter  Springs,  Kan- 
sas, there  was  an  abundance  of  good  water, 
and  the  command  halted  for  rest  and  to 


98          Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

await  a  train  of  supplies  that  was  expected 
at  any  time. 

One  section  of  an  empty  train  was  dis- 
patched and  the  drivers  of  another  section 
went  on  a  vacation.  They  were  allowed  leave 
to  go  with  the  empty  train,  leaving  the  mules 
and  wagons  with  the  trainmaster  and  two  men 
to  herd.  The  next  day  a  courier  arrived  and 
reported  there  was  no  train  on  the  road. 
Camp  was  at  once  notified  to  get  ready  to 
move.  The  train  that  had  no  drivers  was  as- 
signed to  the  Second  Ohio,  and  we  had  to 
furnish  them  with  drivers,  I  being  detailed 
for  one.  We  went  to  the  train  and  the  mules 
were  soon  brought  in. 

The  trainmaster  told  us  to  tie  up  the  mules 
and  then  come  down  to  the  end  of  the  train. 
We  did  as  we  were  directed  and  collected 
around  him.  We  then  marched  behind  the 
train,  and  he  assigned  us  to  our  teams.  I  was 
by  the  side  of  his  mule,  and  was  expecting  to 
be  the  next  man  assigned,  but  it  was  not  so. 
He  would  order  one  man  to  take  one  team, 
another  man  to  take  another  team,  and  so  on 
until  there  were  only  two  men  left.  He  hesi- 
tated for  some  reason  and  then  said  to  me,  "  I 
will  give  you  this  team."  His  words  and  ac- 
tions were  emphasized  in  a  way  that  led  us 
to  think  there  was  something  special  about 
that  team  and  that  I  had  been  selected  for 
some  other  particular  reason.  We  did  not 
understand  it,  but  asked  no  questions. 

He  told  us  to  harness  and  hitch  up,  and  as 


The  Indian  Expedition  99 

he  rode  away  the  next  man  to  me  said, 
"  Cause,  that  team  must  be  a  darling." 

I  remarked  that  I  thought  as  much.  Our 
supposition  was  that  it  was  a  bad  team,  that  he 
had  mistaken  me  for  a  good  driver.  When 
we  had  hitched  the  mules  he  sent  some  men  to 
take  a  few  boxes  of  cartridges  that  were  in  my 
wagon  to  make  out  a  load  in  the  wagon  of  one 
of  the  old  drivers.  He  then  said  to  me  that 
I  had  the  best  team  in  the  train  when  I  got  to 
know  them,  but  they  were  tricky,  and  that  I 
being  a  stranger  might  have  some  trouble  with 
them.  He  said  their  driver  was  fond  of  them 
and  very  proud  of  the  way  they  could  handle 
a  load,  and  he  dreaded  having  to  entrust  them 
to  others.  I  was  sitting  in  the  front  of  the 
wagon,  and  wondering  how  I  should  make 
out  mule  "  skinning,"  as  it  was  termed  there. 
I  had  never  driven  more  than  two  horses  at 
a  time,  and  had  not  used  a  jerk  line.  But  I 
would  rather  have  undertaken  anything  than 
to  walk  to  Fort  Scott  barefooted. 

There  was  a  funeral  squad  burying  a  sol- 
dier a  few  yards  in  front  of  the  train,  and,  as 
they  were  about  to  fire  the  volley  to  denote  the 
last  of  the  ceremony,  the  trainmaster  told  us 
to  look  out  for  our  teams,  as  they  would  be 
apt  to  start  when  they  heard  the  report.  I 
jumped  on  the  wagon  tongue  and  into  the  sad- 
dle, but  none  too  soon.  When  the  volley  was 
fired  all  the  mules  started.  I  was  the  only 
driver  in  the  saddle.  I  jerked  viciously  at  the 
line,  which  served  to  guide  them  far  enough 


ioo       Four  Years  <wlth  Five  Armies 

to  the  right  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the 
others  except  to  catch  some  harness  on  the 
wagon  wheel.  Once  clear,  away  they  went, 
and  I  began  pulling,  which  served  to  turn 
them  to  the  left,  and  by  cutting  a  large  circle 
brought  them  up  in  the  rear  of  the  train  with 
no  damage  but  the  breaking  of  a  stay  chain. 
The  other  teams  were  all  piled  up  together. 
They  had  all  swung  to  the  left  in  an  attempt 
to  turn  short  around.  Many  mules  were  down 
with  others  on  top  of  them,  wagons  joined  to- 
gether, and  such  a  mix-up  I  never  did  see  in 
times  of  peace. 

When  everything  was  straightened  out  the 
empty  wagons  were  distributed  among  the 
companies  of  the  Second  Ohio.  My  wagon 
was  loaded  to  the  top  of  the  bows,  and  when 
they  were  tying  on  the  loose  articles  the  train- 
master came  by,  and  said  nothing,  but  rode 
away  with  a  look  of  disgust  on  his  face. 

Everything  went  on  all  right  that  day. 
The  next  morning  I  pulled  out  with  the  same 
load.  We  crossed  a  dry  branch.  There  was 
a  short  turn  in  a  narrow  cut,  and,  as  I  had  not 
learned  how  to  control  the  wagon  by  the 
wheelers,  I  was  trying  to  do  all  the  guiding 
by  the  leaders,  the  front  wheel  struck  the  bank 
and  turned  the  wagon  over. 

The  train  came  to  a  standstill,  as  the  wreck 
completely  blocked  the  road.  A  detail  soon 
straightened  things  up.  The  trainmaster 
came  along  while  they  were  loading,  and  said 
he  wished  I  would  turn  that  load  over  every 


The  Indian  Expedition  lOi 

mile.  I  did  pretty  well  at  it,  for  I  turned  it 
over  twice  more  before  we  arrived  at  the  four- 
mile  house,  where  we  camped  for  the  third 
night's  rest. 

It  was  my  turn  to  herd  the  mules.  I  went 
out  and  did  my  duty.  When  we  had  tied  them 
up  and  fed  them  I  went  to  our  company  to  get 
a  square  meal.  A  train  load  of  rations  had 
met  us  there.  The  next  day  I  walked  to  Fort 
Scott. 


CHAPTER  VII 

PROVOST  DUTY  AT  FORT  SCOTT 

WE  arrived  at  Fort  Scott  in  the  month 
of   August.     The   plans   that   fol- 
lowed were  a  verification  of  the  old 
adage,   "  Lock  the   door  after  the 
horse  is  stolen."     Already  impregnated  with 
fevers,  and  all  kinds  of  diseases  that  follow 
starvation  and  hardship,  everyone  was  looking 
for  sanitary  conditions   to   prevent  sickness. 
To  this  end  a  high  plateau,  a  mile  from  the 
Marmiton   River,  was  selected   for  a  camp 
ground.    The  water  could  only  be  procured 
from    the    river.      Barrels    were    provided, 
placed  in  army  wagons,  and  each  company 
had  only  one  barrel   to  store  drinking  and 
cooking  water. 

At  all  times  during  the  day  men  could  be 
seen  plodding  the  long  paths  with  clothes  to 
wash  or  with  two  large  camp-kettles  full  of 
water.  In  addition  to  this  was  the  old  usual 
camp  guard  to  walk  back  and  forth  in  the  hot 
sun.  Without  a  shade  tree  near,  the  camp  be- 
came a  hot-bed  of  dust,  and  every  day  men 
were  carried  to  the  hospital.  All  looked  as 
if  life  was  a  burden  to  them. 

New  clothes  were  furnished  to  us,  and  sub- 
sequently the  Second  Ohio  was  called  on  to 

102 


Provost  Duty  at  Fort  Scott          103 

furnish  provost  guard  in  the  post,  to  guard 
hospital  headquarters7  supply  stores,  to  do 
patrol  and  other  duties.  The  dismounted  men 
were  accordingly  detailed,  and  I  was  thus 
separated  from  my  bunky,  and  it  so  happened 
that  we  never  bunked  together  again. 

We  were  established  in  camp  in  close  prox- 
imity and  east  of  the  old  fort  on  a  high  bluff 
that  stands  over  Bourbon  Creek. 

One-half  of  our  detachment  mounted  guard 
the  next  morning  and  marched  to  the  jail  and 
relieved  the  infantry  doing  duty  there,  who 
were  then  under  marching  orders  to  leave  the 
fort. 

The  jail  was  an  old  stone  structure  that  had 
been  previously  used  for  the  post  guard-house. 
The  dimensions  were  about  thirty  by  forty 
feet,  with  one  partition  running  through  it, 
and  one  opening  or  doorway.  The  only  door 
to  the  outside  wall  of  the  building  was  a  grat- 
ing made  of  iron  bars  which  hung  on  its  heavy 
hinges,  set  deep  in  the  stone  wall.  There  were 
five  window  openings,  also  obstructed  with 
iron  gratings,  and  no  glass  in  them,  but  board 
shutters  which  were  removed  for  comfort  dur- 
ing the  hot  weather. 

The  jail  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity 
with  prisoners  of  various  classes,  some,  no 
doubt,  having  been  falsely  accused;  but  the 
majority  were  of  a  desperate  class  and  had 
participated  in  some  more  or  less  desperate 
deeds.  They  were  accused  of  bushwhacking 
Union  troops,  or  acting  the  spy,  or  conspiring 


104       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

against  the  United  States  Government.  Most 
of  them  came  from  Missouri,  but  that  does  not 
imply  that  they  were  natives  or  citizens  of  that 
State.  They  had  been  picked  up  by  the  scout- 
ing parties  sent  out  for  that  purpose  during 
the  previous  year. 

Many  of  the  prisoners  had  friends  who  fre- 
quently visited  them,  bringing  clothes,  pro- 
visions, and  fruit  to  afford  them  some  little 
comfort.  There  were  others  who  had  been 
there  one  year,  and  had  not  seen  a  friendly 
face,  received  a  letter,  nor  one  word  of  en- 
couragement during  their  long  confinement. 
They  could  not  even  conjecture  their  future 
fate.  There  were  four  or  five  of  another  class, 
called  local  prisoners,  who  belonged  to  some 
of  the  military  organizations  at  the  fort,  and 
these  were  accused  of  desertion  and  minor 
offenses. 

Among  them  was  one  whose  exploits  and 
deeds  of  daring  were  well  known  from  Fort 
Leavenworth  to  the  Indian  Territory.  He 
was  employed  as  a  government  scout,  for 
which  service  he  received  the  usual  salary  of 
$5  per  day.  He  enjoyed  many  privileges  not 
allowed  his  fellow-prisoners.  The  guard  was 
divided  into  three  reliefs  with  a  large  super- 
numerary force  to  attend  the  wants  of  the 
prisoners,  and  be  ready  for  any  emergency, 
such  as  patrol,  and  other  things. 

It  so  happened  that  my  name  was  on  the 
supernumerary  list,  and  the  first  time  I  was 
called  for  duty  the  sergeant  told  me  to  guard 


Provost  Duty  at  Fort  Scott          105 

the  scout  on  a  visit  to  his  wife,  then  living 
with  her  mother  three  doors  from  the  jail. 
He  instructed  me  to  keep  my  eyes  on  him  at 
all  times,  not  let  him  get  anything  to  make  his 
escape  with,  and  to  watch  his  wife,  who  might 
hand  him  a  revolver,  as  she  was  a  very  smart 
woman,  and  would  do  anything  he  wanted  her 
to  do.  It  occurred  to  me  that  this  was  a  pecu- 
liar position  to  be  placed  in,  and  it  might  be 
a  case  like  that  of  Willie  Brinnen.  When 
Brinnen  was  in  the  street  his  wife  handed  him 
a  blunderbuss  from  underneath  her  cloak, 
and  the  sheriff  was  immediately  made  to  de- 
liver back  what  he  had  taken  from  Brinnen 
by  law. 

I  took  my  position  by  the  door,  and  when 
the  heavy  grating  swung  on  its  hinges  the 
scout  stepped  out.  He  was  rather  an  impos- 
ing personage,  about  five  feet  ten  inches  tall, 
with  black  eyes,  and  black  hair  that  had  not 
been  cut  for  several  years,  the  curls  clustering 
around  his  shoulders.  He  had  small  hands  and 
feet,  and  well-developed  muscles.  He  was 
scrupulously  dressed  with  broad-rimmed 
planter's  hat,  ruffled  shirt,  and  vest  with  buck- 
skin jacket,  and  leggings  tied  with  ribbons 
and  trimmed  with  fringe  around  the  border. 

As  he  moved  out  in  front  he  said  he  wanted 
a  private  interview  with  his  wife  in  order  that 
she  might  dispose  of  some  property  at  his 
ranch.  To  comply  with  his  request  was  to 
disobey  my  orders,  and,  as  the  distance  trav- 
eled was  short,  there  was  but  a  minute  in 


106       Pour  Years  with  Five  Armies 

which  to  make  up  my  mind.  I  at  once  con- 
cluded to  give  him  full  liberty,  and  to  take  my 
chances,  for  if  he  was  determined  to  escape  it 
would  only  be  an  accident,  anyway,  if  the 
guard  would  be  able  to  prevent  it.  The 
instant  he  stepped  in  the  door  he  could  pick 
up  a  revolver,  and  an  ordinary  man  would  be 
at  his  mercy.  As  he  stepped  in  the  door  I  told 
him  I  would  remain  at  the  end  of  the  house, 
and  when  he  was  ready  to  go  he  could  let  me 
know.  After  watching  closely  for  an  hour,  I 
stepped  into  the  house  and  found  him  talking 
to  his  wife,  a  handsome  girl  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  a  most  devoted  wife,  who  at- 
tended to  all  the  wants  of  the  scout  and  kept 
him  supplied  with  clean  clothes,  and  cooked 
for  and  brought  him  three  meals  a  day  to  the 
jail.  She  said  they  would  like  a  little  more 
time,  which  was  granted. 

When  we  were  walking  to  the  jail  he  said 
he  liked  to  be  out  as  much  as  possible,  but  as 
I  had  treated  him  so  well  he  did  not  want  to 
keep  me  waiting  too  long.  He  wanted  me  to 
take  him  to  see  an  attorney,  as  he  was  anxious 
for  a  trial.  He  also  remarked  that  some  of  the 
boys  were  afraid  he  would  get  away,  and  did 
not  allow  him  one  minute  to  talk  to  his  wife. 
I  replied  that  I  knew  if  he  wanted  to  escape 
the  guard  would  have  but  little  chance  to  pre- 
vent him. 

This  little  sally  inspired  his  confidence,  and 
I  was  enabled  to  get  much  of  his  history  with- 
out soliciting  it.  He  was  born  in  Illinois,  and 


Provost  Duty  at  Port  Scott          107 

in  his  early  'teens,  while  engaged  in  a  con- 
troversy at  some  public  corner,  he  chanced  to 
strike  a  fatal  blow  with  a  knife  or  something 
he  had  in  his  hands.  To  avoid  arrest  he 
crossed  Missouri,  and  entered  Kansas  on  foot, 
a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  through  a 
sparsely  settled  country.  There  he  was  taken 
into  employment  by  some  freighters.  He 
grew  up  amid  the  wild  scenes  of  border  trou- 
bles, Indian  raids,  and  massacres.  His  only 
education  was  to  ride  and  shoot.  Thus  the 
first  law  of  nature,  self-preservation,  became 
his  principal  guide.  He  was  often  challenged 
to  meet  and  fight  to  the  death  with  a  desperate 
foe. 

When  war  was  declared,  he  entered  the 
service  which  he  had  since  been  following. 
One  of  his  favorite  escapades  was  to  approach 
the  picket  of  some  of  the  bands  that  infested 
the  border.  He  would  halt  when  challenged, 
and  pretend  to  be  a  planter  or  a  friend.  When 
called  up  for  close  inspection,  he  would  grasp 
the  bridle-rein  in  his  teeth,  dash  the  spurs  into 
the  horse,  and,  with  revolver  in  each  hand, 
would  shoot  the  guard  and  dash  through  the 
camp  and  out  at  some  other  point.  A  feat  of 
this  kind  is  only  possible  from  the  fact  that 
the  report  of  the  revolver  is  accepted  as  an 
alarm  shot  to  warn  the  camp  of  the  approach 
of  an  enemy.  In  the  hurry  to  saddle  up  they 
do  not  recognize  the  approaching  horseman 
until  he  is  out  of  reach. 

He  told  me  that  he  had  shot  some  of  his 


io8       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

victims  through  misunderstandings  on  his 
part.  They  were  strangers,  he  said,  and  he 
had  misunderstood  them,  and  thought  they  in- 
tended him  some  harm.  The  most  of  them 
were  a  desperate  class  of  criminals  who  had 
been  released  from  Southern  prisons  to  engage 
in  the  border  war  of  '56.  When  he  heard  of 
any  of  them  at  any  of  the  little  towns  or  stores 
making  threats  of  what  they  would  do,  he 
would  mount  his  horse  and  go  in  search  of 
them.  A  desperate  encounter  would  follow, 
from  which  he  had  always  come  out  un- 
scathed. 

His  last  exploit,  and  the  one  for  which  he 
was  then  confined,  was  for  going  on  a  tear,  as 
he  termed  it,  and  resisting  arrest.  Like  most 
all  frontiersmen,  he  would  indulge  in  too 
much  liquor  at  times,  and  proceed  to  paint 
the  town  red.  On  the  last  occasion  a  battalion 
of  regular  cavalry  surrounded  the  place  where 
he  was  drinking,  for  the  purpose  of  arresting 
him.  He  mounted  his  horse,  and  with  the 
rein  in  his  teeth,  revolver  in  each  hand,  made 
them  give  way,  while  he  rode  through  the 
line  at  full  speed.  He  went  to  his  ranch  and 
remained  until  duly  sober.  Then  he  came 
into  the  fort  and  surrendered  to  the  provost 
marshal,  turning  over  a  pair  of  revolvers,  the 
hilts  of  which  were  covered  with  notches,  cut 
there  to  denote  the  number  of  victims  that  had 
fallen  from  the  unerring  aim  of  the  owner. 

A  few  days  later  the  Second  Ohio  was 
treated  to  a  surprise.  When  the  stage  rolled 


Coi,.  A.  V.  KAUTZ 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING      I08 


Provost  Duty  at  Fort  Scott          109 

up  to  the  Bourbon  House  among  its  passen- 
gers was  an  unpretentious-looking  officer, 
who,  with  others,  walked  in  and  registered  as 
a  guest.  There  were  many  officers  and  men 
of  the  Second  about  as  usual,  but  no  one 
noticed  the  newcomer  as  he  mingled  with  the 
other  guests.  He  wore  the  cavalry  uniform 
with  captain's  bar.  Next  day  he  walked  leis- 
urely up  the  hill  to  the  camp  of  the  Second. 
The  first  one  that  took  any  notice  of  him  was 
the  camp  guard,  who  saluted  him  and  was 
saluted  in  return. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here?  "  was  the  ques- 
tion of  the  officer. 

"  On  guard,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  I  see  nothing  here  to  guard,"  said  the  of- 
ficer. "  You  can  go  to  your  quarters." 

"  But  I  am  on  camp  guard,  and  can't  go 
until  released  by  the  corporal." 

"  Go  to  your  quarters,"  said  the  officer, 
"  and  if  anyone  says  anything  to  you,  tell  him 
Colonel  Kautz  relieved  you." 

It  was  soon  known  that  the  Second  Ohio 
had  a  new  colonel.  The  camp  was  then 
moved  to  a  shady  place  by  the  river,  and  many 
other  noticeable  changes  took  place  for  the 
better. 

Up  to  that  time  I  knew  nothing  about  the 
aspirations  of  men,  and  thought  they  accepted 
office  in  the  ordinary  line  of  duty.  But  many 
things  leaked  out  soon  after  this  change,  and 
the  scales  began  to  fall  from  my  eyes.  Several 
resignations  followed.  Early  in  September, 


no       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

while  on  duty  pacing  a  beat  in  front  of  the  old 
stone  jail,  I  was  suddenly  taken  with  conges- 
tion followed  by  nausea  and  high  fever.  My 
companions  took  me  to  the  hospital,  where  I 
lay  at  the  point  of  death  for  several  days.  My 
complaint  was  pronounced  by  the  doctor  to  be 
typhus  fever.  He  had  no  hopes  of  me,  but 
directed  the  nurse  to  give  me  special  care. 
While  lying  there  I  saw  many  a  poor  fellow 
carried  out  to  the  morgue,  sometimes  at  the 
rate  of  from  five  to  eight  a  day.  After  three 
weeks  had  elapsed,  being  able  to  mope  about, 
I  made  application  to  the  doctor  for  permis- 
sion to  go  to  camp.  He  replied  that,  as  he 
was  in  need  of  every  bed,  I  could  go,  if  I 
would  report  to  him  at  sick  call  every  morn- 
ing. I  promised  to  do  this  and  I  fulfilled  the 
promise  the  next  morning,  but  neglected  it  in 
the  future,  something  that  has  caused  me  some 
regret,  as  I  have  never  regained  my  normal 
weight  or  strength  since. 

In  the  provost  guard  we  knew  but  little  that 
was  going  on  in  the  regiment,  only  making 
note  of  the  most  conspicuous  changes  that  we 
heard  of  from  day  to  day.  One  sergeant  was 
detached  from  each  company  to  recruit  men 
to  fill  them  up  to  the  full  complement.  The 
best  horses  were  selected  to  mount  the  bat- 
talion that  was  armed  with  revolving  rifles; 
the  others  being  turned  over  to  the  post  quar- 
termaster. 

When  General  Price  made  his  second  raid 
into  Missouri,  the  regiment  went  in  pursuit. 


Provost  Duty  at  Fort  Scott          in 

The  dismounted  men  were  transported  in 
army  wagons,  making  a  forced  march  on  short 
rations.  The  Salem  mess  lost  one  more  of  its 
members,  Lewis  Campbell  accidentally  crip- 
pling himself  by  discharging  his  revolver,  the 
contents  taking  effect  in  his  foot.  Time  had 
now  begun  to  drag  heavily  on  our  hands. 
The  regiment  was  unfit  for  service  in  its  pres- 
ent condition,  and  no  one  appeared  to  guess 
our  future  fate  or  destination.  Finally,  one 
day  in  December,  an  order  came  for  the  de- 
tachment to  make  ready  to  march.  The  next 
morning  a  train  of  wagons  pulled  in  for  us, 
and  after  loading,  we  moved  out,  riding  or 
walking  at  will.  That  day  at  our  first  camp 
we  all  reported  to  our  companies.  The  march 
north  faced  the  cold  December  winds,  and 
continued  for  several  days.  At  last  we 
reached  the  east  side  of  the  Missouri  River, 
at  Weston,  where  nearly  .a  year  before  we  had 
unloaded  as  fine  a  lot  of  horses  as  had  ever 
entered  Kansas. 

We  were  now  divested  of  all  government 
property,  and  so  we  had  nothing  to  look  after 
but  our  personal  effects.  A  train  of  box-cars 
was  backed  up  to  the  station,  the  railroad 
companies  having  long  since  quit  furnishing 
coaches  to  transport  soldiers.  But  even  this 
was  much  better  than  we  were  now  used  to, 
and  without  a  word  of  complaint  we  took  our 
blankets  and  boarded  the  train. 

We  moved  along  through  Missouri,  Illi- 
nois, Indiana,  and  Ohio,  until  we  arrived  at 


112       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

Columbus,  and  went  into  quarters  at  Camp 
Chase.  Here  we  met  the  men  called  the  '62 
recruits.  Many  of  them  were  our  cousins, 
brothers,  and  neighbor  boys,  boys  that  were 
not  old  enough  to  enlist  the  year  before.  In 
fact,  some  were  yet  under  the  acceptable  age. 
There  were  not  yet  enough  to  fill  up  the 
regiment,  and  one  battalion  was  divided  and 
enough  put  into  each  company  to  fill  out  two 
battalions.  One  battalion  that  had  been  or- 
ganized for  the  Eighth  Ohio  Cavalry  was 
added  to  ours,  making  a  full  regiment. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

IN  QUARTERS  AT  CAMP  CHASE 

WHILE  the  reorganization  was  going 
on,  we  took  furloughs  to  go  home 
for  thirty  days.  Meantime,  the 
battalion  we  left  in  Kansas  arrived, 
and  they  brought  their  revolving  rifles  and  re- 
tained them  through  the  next  campaign. 

When  I  arrived  at  home  I  heard  that  my 
friend  William  Engle,  who  so  kindly  assisted 
me  to  join  the  company  on  our  departure  for 
Camp  Wade,  had  since  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Ohio,  had  been  to  the 
front,  and  was  then  lying  at  his  home  mortally 
wounded.  I  called  to  see  him  the  day  after 
I  got  home.  One  week  later  I  was  called  on 
to  perform  the  last  mark  of  respect  to  our  de- 
parted comrade. 

The  thirty  days'  leave  having  expired,  I 
returned  to  Camp  Chase,  and  was  treated  to 
a  surprise  when  Sergeant  Harris  informed  me 
that  a  raid  had  been  recently  planned  to 
clean  out  the  Crisis  office,  and  invited  me  to 
join  the  party.  The  Crisis  was  a  sheet  pub- 
lished in  Columbus,  the  sentiments  of  which 
were  antagonistic  to  the  Union,  and  it  pub- 
lished the  writings  and  speeches  of  C.  L. 
Vallandigham.  When  the  regiment  was  in 


H4       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

Kansas,  the  Crisis  published  one  of  his 
speeches,  in  which  he  expressed  the  wish  that 
no  soldier  that  crossed  Mason  and  Dixon's  line 
would  live  to  return.  That  speech,  coupled 
with  many  others  of  like  nature,  raised  our 
ire,  and  some  threats  were  made  at  the  time, 
and  it  appears  that  some  took  it  to  heart  so 
much  as  to  put  it  into  execution  at  the  first 
opportunity.  Although  I  could  see  no  reason 
why  anything  Vallandigham  might  have 
said  would  affect  us  in  any  way,  there  were 
others  that  should  know  more  about  such  mat- 
ters, and  they  belonged  to  the  Second  Ohio, 
and  I  was  willing  to  help  them  get  revenge. 
It  was  snowing  at  the  time,  and  I  observed, 
"  It's  a  bad  night."  "  It  is,"  was  the  reply, 
"  but  the  leaders  have  been  waiting  for  the 
boys  to  return  from  leave,  and  everything  is 
now  ready  and  it  will  be  carried  out  to-night. 
The  principal  reason  being  that  we  are  ex- 
cused from  tattoo  and  can  pass  the  sentinel 
and  enter  the  city  under  the  guise  of  a  church 
party  on  Sunday,  whereas  a  pass  would  be  re- 
quired on  any  other  night." 

After  retreat  the  usual  call  for  volunteers 
to  form  the  church  party  was  made,  to  which 
none  would  respond  on  such  a  bad  night  but 
those  understanding  the  significance  of  the 
movement.  We  arrived  at  the  appointed 
rendezvous,  where  more  than  one  hundred 
had  preceded  us.  They  were  armed  with 
clubs,  hatchets,  and  axes.  There  was  no  time 
lost,  but  we  were  put  in  line  and  were  on  the 


In  Quarters  at  Camp  Chase  115 

move  at  once,  Sergeant  Harris  being  selected 
to  take  command  of  the  advanced  guard.  We 
moved  out  at  a  double-quick  to  gain  the  usual 
space  between  the  advance  and  the  head  of 
the  column  without  causing  any  delay.  Ser- 
geant Harris  and  I  had  no  arms,  so  we  pulled 
pickets  from  a  farmyard  fence. 

The  bridge  across  the  river  was  a  long 
covered  structure,  and  a  guard  was  always 
stationed  at  the  end  next  to  the  city.  When 
we  were  near  enough,  he  called,  "  Halt,  who 
comes  there?  "  "  A  party  to  church,"  was  the 
reply.  The  man  personating  the  commander 
stepped  to  the  front  and  was  granted  permis- 
sion to  pass  his  men. 

On, our  arrival  at  the  street  in  which  the 
office  was  located,  we  turned  to  the  right. 
When  we  came  to  the  corner  someone  said, 
"  This  is  the  place,"  and  turned  and  went  up- 
stairs. Sergeant  Harris  directed  the  move- 
ments of  the  advance  guard.  He  sent  two 
men  to  each  of  the  three  corners  with  orders 
to  prevent  any  interference  from  any  guard 
or  police.  He  then  took  me,  and  we  crossed 
the  street  to  the  other  corner. 

We  had  no  sooner  taken  our  positions  than 
a  column  of  men  poured  into  the  building. 
The  smashing  of  windows  and  a  stream  of 
furniture,  books,  paper,  maps,  and  charts 
poured  out  of  every  opening  into  the  street. 
The  noise  attracted  the  police,  who  sounded 
the  alarm.  The  first  one  that  arrived  came 
directly  to  us.  We  were  standing  with  the 


Ii6       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

pickets  behind  us.  He  did  not  know  that  we 
were  concerned.  He  asked  us  what  was  going 
on  over  there.  We  promptly  replied  that 
some  soldiers  were  wrecking  the  Crisis  office. 
He  started  to  go  over,  but  we  told  him  that 
resistance  would  be  useless,  and  that  we  were 
there  to  prevent  any  interference. 

By  that  time  he  was  joined  by  another  of- 
ficer, and  many  citizens  were  coming  from 
every  direction.  The  new  arrival  insisted  on 
making  an  effort  to  stop  the  destruction  of 
property,  but  we  told  him  that  to  attempt  such 
a  thing  would  be  fatal  to  him.  The  two  of- 
ficers walked  off  a  short  distance,  and  while 
talking  were  joined  by  another  officer,  but 
they  walked  quietly  away,  as  was  to  be  ex- 
pected. They  were  no  doubt  in  sympathy 
with  the  soldiers. 

The  work  was  of  but  a  few  moments'  dura- 
tion, and  the  order  was  given  to  fall  in  for 
camp.  We  moved  off  quickly,  as  we  did  not 
expect  to  escape  the  provost  guard  as  easily 
as  we  had  escaped  the  police. 

When  about  halfway  to  the  river,  Sergeant 
Harris  was  informed  that  they  had  not  found 
the  type.  He  said  that  was  a  very  important 
point,  and  that  it  must  be  found  and  de- 
molished. He  thought  it  was  at  the  steam 
printing  press,  five  or  six  blocks  farther  in  the 
city,  and  we  would  go  there  and  see. 

At  this  time  I  made  my  first  suggestion  in 
the  way  of  directing  the  movement  of  a  body 
of  men.  I  told  them  it  was  necessary  to  send 


In  Quarters  at  Camp  Chase  117 

men  enough  to  the  bridge  to  hold  it,  as  it  was 
our  only  means  of  escape.  They  all  recog- 
nized the  wisdom  of  the  proposition  and  acted 
accordingly.  Thirty  men  went  with  Sergeant 
Harris,  and  the  others  went  to  the  bridge. 

The  sergeant  called  on  the  foreman  at  the 
steam  press,  but  he  said  the  Crisis  type  was  not 
there  and  he  did  not  know  where  the  paper 
was  printed. 

With  no  information,  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  return  to  the  camp.  We  went  to  the 
street  that  leads  directly  to  the  bridge,  and 
while  passing  opposite  the  State  House  we 
could  see  patrol,  guards,  police,  and  many 
others,  on  the  double-quick,  crossing  the  street, 
going  in  the  direction  of  the  Crisis  office. 
Some  stopped  to  look  at  us,  but  as  we  were 
marching  in  perfect  order  they  passed  without 
any  questions. 

When  we  neared  the  bridge,  a  squad  with 
an  officer  in  front  double-quicked  down  the 
other  side  of  the  street.  As  we  were  passing 
the  guard  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  they  called 
out  to  him,  "  Have  you  seen  anything  unusual 
here?" 

"  No,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Who  are  those  men?" 

"  A  church  party,  sir." 

We  had  now  joined  our  party,  who  had 
secreted  themselves  inside  of  the  bridge,  only 
a  few  feet  from  the  guard.  As  we  passed 
along  they  fell  in,  and  we  marched  unmo- 
lested to  camp.  When  we  arrived  at  the  bar- 


n8       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

racks  the  boys  produced  many  things,  such  as 
books,  maps,  manuscripts,  pens,  and  other 
relics,  which  they  had  concealed  under  their 
coats.  I  protested,  and  advised  them  to  burn 
those  things,  as  the  raid  was  not  intended  for 
plunder.  They  did  not  heed  my  advice,  how- 
ever. 

The  next  day  at  9  A.  M.  there  was  a  ru- 
mor that  the  authorities  were  making  strenu- 
ous efforts  to  find  the  perpetrators,  and  that 
we  were  under  suspicion. 

Many  articles  were  then  thrown  into  the 
fire  and  burned.  The  more  valuable  articles 
were  concealed  under  the  floor  of  the  bar- 
racks, and  at  ii  A.  M.,  regular  officers'  call, 
the  officers  were  ordered  to  search  their  com- 
panies and  report  the  result. 

When  we  fell  in  line  a  sergeant  and  two  men 
were  ordered  to  search  for  property  belonging 
to  the  Crisis  office.  Nothing  was  found,  and 
the  result  reported  accordingly. 

A  special  call  was  then  made  for  the  offi- 
cers. Colonel  Kautz  gave  them  some  instruc- 
tions that  we  were  unable  to  learn  until  after 
retreat. 

After  the  roll  had  been  called,  the  Captain 
said  that  Colonel  Kautz  was  anxious  to  have 
a  fine  pipe  that  had  been  taken  from  the  Crisis 
office  the  night  before.  If  he  could  get  it 
there  would  be  no  more  effort  to  implicate 
the  regiment.  Someone  asked  what  Colonel 
Kautz's  pipe  was  doing  in  a  Copperhead  place. 
The  captain  said  that  they  asked  him  the  same 


In  Quarters  at  Camp  Chase          119 

question,  and  the  Colonel  had  answered  that 
he  had  purchased  the  pipe  as  a  present  for  an 
old  and  respected  classmate  who  was  then 
serving  in  the  Navy.  A  person  who  had  kept 
in  continued  communication  with  him, 
worked  in  the  Crisis  office,  and  the  pipe  had 
been  left  with  this  person  by  Colonel  Kautz 
to  forward  to  its  destination.  When  the  com- 
pany broke  ranks  there  was  a  consultation 
among  the  members,  and  some  denounced  our 
Colonel  as  a  Copperhead  and  in  sympathy 
with  the  Crisis  people,  and  no  one  appeared  to 
know  anything  about  the  pipe.  Gold  pens, 
fine  inkstands,  and  other  trophies  were 
plentiful. 

I  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussion,  and 
defended  the  Colonel,  as  did  the  majority. 
He  had  inaugurated  many  reforms,  and  had, 
in  fact,  been  our  benefactor.  We  decided  that 
he  was  loyal,  and  that  the  connection  of  the 
pipe  with  the  Crisis  office,  as  he  had  said,  was 
only  a  coincidence. 

We  then  dispersed,  and  a  man  six  foot  three, 
who  belonged  to  our  company,  stepped  up  to 
me  and  drew  from  a  side  pocket  a  morocco 
case,  with  the  gilt  letters  A.  V.  K.  on  one  side. 
At  the  same  time  he  said  to  me  that  he  had  the 
pipe.  He  opened  the  case  and  displayed  a 
fine  meerschaum. 

"  I  think  like  you  do,  and  want  to  return  it, 
but  not  to  let  them  know  where  it  comes  from. 
Only  three  men  know  that  I  have  it." 

He  named  them.     They  were  called  into 


lao       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

consultation.  As  a  result  the  pipe  was 
wrapped  up  and  addressed  to  Colonel  A.  V. 
Kautz,  and  intrusted  to  me.  I  strolled  leis- 
urely up  to  the  officers'  quarters,  and  when 
there  was  no  one  to  see  me,  slipped  the  pipe 
through  the  slot  into  the  mail  box  at  head- 
quarters. 

During  the  winter,  being  fitted  out  with  a 
complete  new  outfit,  with  the  exception  of  one 
battalion  retaining  their  revolving  rifles,  the 
other  two  battalions  were  furnished  with  the 
Burnside  carbine,  a  breech-loading  gun  with 
metallic  cartridge,  the  best  in  use  at  that  time. 

Being  on  duty  when  the  horses  were  issued, 
of  course  I  got  Hobson's  choice,  having  only 
one  to  choose  from.  She  was  rather  nice-look- 
ing, but  frail  built,  not  calculated  to  carry 
heavy  loads  or  endure  long  marches.  Com- 
pany E  was  now  controlled  by  an  entire  set 
of  new  officers,  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant 
being  transferred  from  the  now  defunct  bat- 
talion, with  Warner  Newton  promoted  to  sec- 
ond lieutenant. 

As  soon  as  spring  opened  we  were  on  the 
move.  We  traveled  by  rail  to  Cincinnati 
and  ferried  over  to  Covington,  where  we  re- 
mained a  few  days,  and  then  embarked  on 
transports  and  landed  at  Maysville,  Ken- 
tucky. From  there  we  took  up  the  line  of 
march  southward,  through  the  noted  blue- 
grass  country. 

Many  changes  were  now  made  that  were 
noticeable  to  the  old  members  of  the  regiment. 


In  Quarters  at  Camp  Chase  121 

Instead  of  long  wagon-trains  to  block  the  road 
there  was  but  the  one  wagon  to  each  company, 
which  traveled  with  the  quartermaster's  train, 
and  in  place  of  the  large  Sibley  tent  each 
trooper  was  furnished  with  one-half  of  what 
was  termed  a  dog-tent,  that  he  strapped  on  the 
saddle.  In  place  of  the  cumbersome  mess- 
kit,  the  cooking  utensils  and  rations  were  car- 
ried on  the  saddle.  Three  days'  rations  were 
usually  issued.  The  company  marched  in  ad- 
vance, divided  into  squads,  and  went  on  the 
different  roads  and  did  picket  duty  until  the 
next  morning,  when  they  were  relieved. 


CHAPTER   IX 

IN  KENTUCKY 

Awe  marched  along  through  towns  and 
villages,  we  saw  troops  in  every  place, 
but  nothing  of  importance  occurred 
until  we  arrived  at  Somerset,  Ken- 
tucky. A  large  body  of  troops  was  there, 
among  whom  was  the  noted  Colonel  Wool- 
ford's  First  Kentucky  Cavalry,  a  terror  to  the 
Johnnies,  and  whom  the  noted  John  Morgan 
held  in  awe.  They  were  a  set  of  men  peculiar 
in  their  own  way,  never  doing  anything  like 
anybody  else.  They  were  scattered  every- 
where, and  they  were  always  on  the  alert.  By 
some  means  known  to  themselves  they  always 
got  together  when  there  was  a  chance  for  an 
engagement  with  the  enemy,  and  then  they 
scored  one  for  the  First  Kentucky. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  enemy  to  surprise 
a  camp  in  that  part  of  the  country,  for  the 
First  Kentucky  knew  every  Union  man  and 
every  ford  and  bridle  path  in  southern  Ken- 
tucky. As  soon  as  the  enemy  moved  some- 
one knew  it,  and  soon  they  all  knew  it.  They 
usually  rode  the  thoroughbred  Kentucky 
horse,  and,  if  occasion  required,  the  man 
would  light  into  the  saddle  with  his  foot 
through  the  stirrup  to  the  heel  of  his  boot, 


122 


In  Kentucky  123 

and,  with  his  trusty  carbine  across  the  saddle, 
he  would  glide  over  forty,  fifty,  or  one  hun- 
dred miles,  as  the  case  might  be,  with  a  rapid- 
ity that  always  brought  him  to  the  right  place 
at  the  right  time. 

When  in  a  skirmish  Colonel  Woolford 
would  say:  "  Huddle  up  and  scatter  out,  boys ; 
you  know  as  well  how  to  do  it  as  I  do." 

Somerset  is  situated  on  the  north  of  the 
Cumberland  River  and  three  or  four  miles 
from  it.  There  was  an  old-fashioned  rope 
ferry  with  two  boats  at  the  river  crossing  on 
the  road  leading  south  to  the  town  of  Monti- 
cello,  at  that  time  the  headquarters  of  the 
rebel  General  Pegram.  The  north  side  of  the 
river  was  guarded  by  Union  troops  and  the 
south  side  by  the  Southern  troops.  There 
were  also  fords  above  and  below  the  ferry,  a 
few  miles  apart,  that  required  a  small  outpost 
or  picket  guard,  and  we  took  our  turns  at  that 
duty. 

Trading  coffee  for  tobacco  and  exchanging 
papers  was  an  everyday  occurrence.  This  was 
done  by  meeting  in  the  middle  of  the  river  in 
skiffs. 

The  general  in  command  at  Somerset  ap- 
peared to  get  some  satisfaction  out  of  tantaliz- 
ing Pegram.  Every  week  he  would  send  a 
small  cavalry  force  to  drive  in  his  pickets  to 
the  main  force,  and  then  fall  back.  I  remem- 
ber going  three  different  times,  and  it  was 
done  the  same  each  time.  The  way  was  a  very 
peculiar  one. 


124       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  crossing  was  effected  at  what  was 
known  as  the  upper  ford,  several  miles  from 
Somerset.  On  the  north  side  of  the  river  is 
a  line  of  rough  foothills  through  which  the 
road  passes  and  enters  the  water  directly  op- 
posite a  bluff,  several  hundred  feet  high,  that 
rises  perpendicular  from  the  water.  The  top 
of  the  bluff  is  flat  and  covered  with  timber, 
and  on  this  Pegram's  pickets  were  posted. 
They  could  see  us  some  time  before  we  were  in 
range  of  their  guns,  and  had  all  the  time  they 
wanted  to  assemble  at  the  brink  or  edge  of 
the  bluff.  When  we  entered  the  water  they 
would  begin  to  fire.  At  this  point  the  bed  of 
the  river  was  full  of  boulders  from  the  size  of 
your  hat  to  the  size  of  an  army  wagon.  The 
water  was  very  swift,  tumbling  against  the 
boulders  and  the  horses'  legs,  and  this,  with  the 
spatting  of  the  leaden  hail,  made  a  deafening 
roar. 

We  had  to  pass  the  bluff  to  the  landing  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  that  necessitated  at  least 
a  half-mile's  travel  in  the  water,  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  and  in  a  perfectly  helpless 
condition  so  far  as  defending  ourselves  was 
concerned. 

The  landing  was  at  the  mouth  of  a  canyon, 
and  the  road  skirted  the  edge  of  the  canyon  by 
a  steep  grade,  winding  about  until  it  reached 
the  flat  top  of  the  mountain,  a  mile  from  the 
river.  At  this  point  the  Johnnies  who  had 
fired  from  the  bluff  would  give  us  a  parting 
volley  and  disappear  to  form  on  the  next  open 


In  Kentucky  125 

ground;  but,  as  their  number  was  compara- 
tively small,  after  a  few  shots  they  would  fall 
back  until  reinforced,  when  a  heavy  skirmish 
would  continue  until  night  put  a  stop  to 
active  operations. 

In  the  morning  we  would  find  ourselves 
confronted  by  Pegram's  command,  and  a  hot 
little  engagement  would  follow. 

One  time  the  Second  Ohio  made  a  charge 
and  dislodged  the  enemy.  In  front  of  them 
there  were  many  dead  and  wounded  lying 
about.  Those  that  had  been  killed  but  a  short 
time  had  turned  black  as  charcoal.  The  pris- 
oners said  it  was  caused  by  drinking  rye  tea  in 
camp,  as  a  substitute  for  coffee  and  whisky, 
mixed  with  powder,  before  going  into  an  en- 
gagement. 

The  fourth  time  we  crossed  the  Cumber- 
land, all  the  effective  men  moved  in  light 
marching  order,  consisting  of  cavalry,  artil- 
lery, and  infantry.  Pegram  having  retreated, 
we  met  no  opposition.  There  was  only  a  small 
squad  of  cavalry  in  Monticello,  but  they  with- 
drew at  the  approach  of  our  advance  guard, 
and  left  the  town  undisputed  to  our  possession. 
The  infantry  halted  there  and  the  cavalry  pur- 
sued Pegram  into  Tennessee.  Heavy  rains  set 
in  while  on  our  return.  The  roads  became 
heavy  and  the  cavalry  frequently  had  to  drag 
the  artillery  and  wagons  out  of  the  mire. 
Many  of  the  horses  gave  out. 

We  passed  through  Monticello.  Every- 
thing was  moving  back  to  Somerset.  In  a 


126       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

heavy  rain  we  went  into  camp  in  a  strip  of 
timber  on  the  ridge  where  most  of  our 
skirmishes  had  taken  place  on  our  former 
raids. 

That  evening  orderly  call  sounded  im- 
mediately after  stable  call.  The  orderly  re- 
turned and  said  it  was  Colonel  Kautz's 
orders  not  to  groom  the  horses  while  they  were 
wet.  I  made  the  remark  that  in  some  things 
it  was  good  to  have  a  regular  officer,  for  he 
knew  at  least  how  to  take  care  of  the  horses. 
Some  officer  who  felt  sore  because  he  had 
been  superseded  by  a  regular,  overheard  the 
remark. 

I  was  on  camp  guard  that  night,  and  did  not 
get  out  to  the  stable  call  as  soon  as  I  might 
have  done,  but  had  my  bunky  feed  my 
mare,  a  common  custom  in  our  company. 
When  assembly  sounded,  and  I  was  packing 
up,  my  bunky  said  he  had  orders  to  lead  my 
mare  and  to  make  me  walk.  I  thought  he  was 
joking.  Someone  spoke  up  and  said,  "  It  is 
a  fact.  I  heard  the  order." 

It  was  the  first  sentence  or  reproof  that  had 
been  passed  on  me  except  at  Fort  Scott,  where 
I  was  tardy,  with  the  view  of  getting  my  horse 
out  of  the  mud  while  I  chopped  wood.  I  felt 
it  keenly,  and  threw  down  the  articles  in  my 
hand  and  said,  "  I  don't  care  a  -  —  if  I  never 
see  the  mare  again!  " 

The  order  was  to  punish  me  for  what  I  had 
said  the  evening  before.  I  packed  up  my  car- 
bine and  started.  They  said,  "  You  had  bet- 


In  Kentucky  127 

ter  saddle  up  and  pack  your  things,"  to  which 
I  replied,  "  A  man  on  foot  needs  no  saddle, 
and  if  the  captain  wants  it  worse  than  I,  he 
had  better  see  that  he  gets  it." 

I  trudged  away  through  the  mud,  already 
well  mixed  by  passing  troops,  and  in  many 
places  sank  in  ankle  deep. 

The  bottom  land  was  covered  with  water 
and  the  river  was  up  to  the  top  of  its  bank. 
With  the  steep  grade  as  it  leaves  the  moun- 
tains the  water  tumbles  and  roars  as  it  lashes 
into  foam  along  the  bank  and  among  the  large 
boulders  in  its  bottom.  The  troops  were 
crossing  as  rapidly  as  possible  with  the  facili- 
ties at  command. 

The  river  is  very  wide  at  that  point  and 
there  were  two  cables  stretched  across,  both  of 
which  were  fastened  to  the  same  tree  on  the 
north  side;  the  other  end  to  two  different  trees 
on  the  south  side,  about  fifty  yards  apart. 
There  were  two  boats,  called  the  little  and 
the  big  boat.  The  artillery  were  using  the 
big  boat  and  the  infantry  the  little  one.  The 
one  used  by  the  artillery  was  just  large  enough 
to  carry  one  gun  with  caissons,  men,  and  har- 
ness, while  the  horses  were  made  to  swim  by 
the  side.  One  company  of  infantry  was 
marched  to  the  other  boat  with  all  their  ac- 
couterments. 

On  my  arrival  at  the  river  it  was  my  inten- 
tion to  cross  and  keep  on  going.  I  did  not 
care  much  where,  but  intended  to  go  to  any 
place  other  than  the  company.  They  would 


128       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

not  let  me  on  the  boat,  as  they  had  the  right 
of  way,  and  were  as  anxious  to  cross  as  I. 

I  made  myself  as  comfortable  as  possible 
on  some  baggage  that  was  piled  near  the  ferry, 
and  watched  the  troops  crossing.  There  was 
one  New  England  regiment  whose  time  of 
service  had  expired,  under  orders  to  proceed 
to  their  State  to  be  mustered  out.  When  this 
regiment  was  crossing,  about  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon,  one  company  of  ninety  men 
were  lost,  all  being  drowned  but  one  man. 
When  a  company  marched  on  the  boat  it  was 
pushed  off  shore  and  permitted  to  swing 
around  lengthwise  with  the  stream,  and  four 
men  on  the  upper  end  of  the  boat  would  pull 
the  cable  hand-over-hand.  On  this  unfortu- 
nate occasion  the  man  let  go  of  the  cable  and 
the  boat  glided  down  to  the  lower  one.  The 
men  on  the  lower  end  of  the  boat  caught  hold 
of  it,  which  movement  checked  the  boat  and 
caused  it  to  swing  rapidly  around  until  it  was 
crosswise  with  the  current.  With  the  order 
to  let  go  they  stooped  down  until  past  the 
cable,  then  they  all  reached  for  it,  and  many 
caught  hold,  throwing  the  weight  all  on  the 
upper  side,  with  the  weight  of  the  current 
against  the  flat  side  of  the  boat.  The  lower 
side  now  being  light,  it  turned  over  on  top  of 
the  men.  But  few  ever  came  up  again,  and 
they  only  to  sink,  with  one  exception,  an  ex- 
pert swimmer  that  had  presence  of  mind  to 
extricate  himself  and  swim  ashore. 

Remaining  there  with  wet  feet  and  with 


In  Kentucky  129 

nothing  to  eat  until  it  was  late  in  the  evening, 
I  was  about  to  make  a  move  in  some  other 
direction,  when  Hopkins,  then  on  duty  at 
brigade  headquarters,  arrived  with  a  dispatch 
for  some  officer  at  the  ferry.  When  he  saw 
me  there  he  advised  me  to  go  back  to  the  com- 
pany, then  in  line  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
valley,  where  they  would  remain  all  night  to 
protect  the  ferry  against  attack  from  a  small 
party  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  then  annoying 
the  rear-guard. 

I  had  studied  the  matter  over  during  the 
day,  and  as  his  advice  did  not  conform  to  my 
previous  decision,  the  only  reply  I  could  give 
him  was  that  if  they  wanted  me  to  have  the 
mare  they  must  send  her  to  me;  for  I  should 
not  go  back  one  step.  He  galloped  away,  and 
in  about  thirty  minutes  my  bunky  came  with 
the  mare,  whereupon  I  mounted  and  joined 
the  company. 

As  there  was  now  only  one  boat,  it  was  kept 
busy,  and  by  daylight  the  troops  had  all 
crossed  but  the  one  brigade  of  cavalry,  and 
by  twelve  o'clock  we  were  in  our  old  camp  at 
Somerset. 

The  recent  engagements  had  taught  us  that 
it  was  policy  to  husband  our  ammunition,  for 
with  the  convenient  carbine  the  ordinary 
trooper  would  shoot  away  one  hundred  rounds 
so  quickly  he  would  declare  he  had  lost  or 
someone  had  stolen  part  of  it. 

The  next  day  a  board  of  survey  condemned 
and  turned  in  all  the  unserviceable  property. 


130       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

They  said  my  mare  looked  pretty  well,  but 
being  of  slender  build  and  a  mare  they  would 
condemn  her.  That  made  five  horses  from 
Company  E  that  were  condemned.  After 
turning  them  over  to  the  quartermaster,  D.  H. 
Arnold,  the  regimental  trainmaster,  a  good 
judge  of  stock,  was  directed  to  take  them  to 
Lexington,  turn  them  in,  and  draw  serviceable 
stock  to  take  their  places.  The  captain  took 
leave  from  the  company  about  that  time  and 
we  never  saw  him  again. 

Information  being  received  at  headquarters 
that  the  noted  cavalry  leader,  General  John 
H.  Morgan,  was  preparing  to  make  a  raid 
north,  the  cavalry  division,  under  command 
of  General  Shackleford,  was  ordered  out  in 
light  marching  order  to  intercept  him. 

Light  marching  order  at  that  time  consisted 
of  one  blanket,  one  poncho,  one  change  of 
underclothes,  one  hundred  rounds  of  ammu- 
nition, one  pair  of  horseshoes  with  nails  to 
fasten  them  on,  three  days'  rations,  and  three 
days'  forage  for  the  horses.  We  moved  out 
about  June  a^th,  taking  the  effective  men  and 
leaving  the  dismounted  men  to  take  care  of 
the  camp. 

On  July  i  the  detail  arrived  from  Lexing- 
ton with  the  fresh  mounts.  When  issued  to 
the  companies  five  were  led  over  and  tied  to 
the  picket  line  near  the  sergeant's  tent.  Being 
the  last  to  arrive  on  the  spot  I  heard  someone 
say,  "  Here  is  a  mare,  Cause  can  have  that." 
A  little  surprised  at  the  joke,  I  inquired, 


In  Kentucky  131 

"  Who  has  a  right  to  select  my  mount  for 
me?  "  But  after  inspecting  them  I  remarked, 
"  They  are  a  good  lot  and  the  mare  is  the  best 
one  amongst  them."  My  observation  brought 
out  the  laugh  and  I  said,  "  I  told  you  so."  As 
so  much  prejudice  had  recently  developed 
against  that  kind  of  mount,  and  they  had  re- 
cently condemned  one  for  me,  I  thought  it 
would  not  be  wise  to  select  another  right  away. 
The  others  all  declared  they  would  not  have 
her,  and  each  selected  his  choice  and  led  it 
away.  The  sergeant,  seeing  the  difficulty 
ahead,  ordered  them  to  let  the  horses  be  and 
he  would  issue  them  by  lot. 

At  this  time  Arnold  came  galloping  up, 
and  said,  "  Cause,  I  selected  a  fine  mare  for 
you."  "  They  have  just  condemned  one  for 
me,"  I  said.  "  I  know  they  did,  but  this  was 
the  best  animal  in  the  corral ;  and  I  wanted  to 
bring  her,  and  as  you  have  had  no  other  kind 
of  mount  and  made  no  objection  when  the  last 
one  was  issued  to  you,  I  thought  you  would 
accept  her.  She  was  turned  in  with  the 
captured  stock  after  the  battle  of  Stone  River, 
has  been  well  cared  for,  and  if  you  will  ac- 
cept her  you  will  never  regret  it;  but  if  you 
do  not  they  will  blame  me  for  bringing 
her."  "You  will  not  be  disappointed,"  I 
replied. 

I  led  her  to  my  tent,  and  trimmed  off  her 
tail,  for  it  was  dragging  on  the  ground.  The 
mare  was  as  handsome  as  a  picture,  with  every 
point  that  makes  a  horse  perfect.  She  was  a 


132        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

dark  bay  with  black  tail  and  mane,  and  lacked 
one-half  inch  of  fifteen  hands  high ;  of  gentle 
disposition,  never  worried  by  useless  moving 
or  chaffing,  and  she  could  be  trusted  to  stand 
in  the  same  place  in  which  you  left  her  until 
wanted  again. 

Well  pleased  with  my  mount,  I  began  to 
pack  up.  Someone  inquired,  "  Where  are  you 
going?  "  "  To  the  company,"  I  replied. 

The  sergeant  was  soon  notified  of  my  in- 
tention, and  he  said  I  could  not  go.  That  set- 
tled the  matter  for  the  time,  but  I  made  ap- 
plication to  higher  authority,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  3d  of  July  they  sent  for  me  to 
take  the  regimental  mail  to  Jim  Town. 

I  lost  no  time,  but  reported  at  once  to  head- 
quarters. The  adjutant  gave  me  a  pass  and 
an  order  for  the  mail.  I  went  to  town,  pre- 
sented my  order  and  got  the  mail,  which  I 
assure  you  was  no  small  load  for  a  horse,  for 
when  it  was  packed  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
I  gained  the  saddle. 

The  postmaster  followed  me  to  the  street 
and  cautioned  me  about  the  mail.  "  You  have 
a  hazardous  route  to  go  and  the  mail  is  a 
great  inducement.  I  want  to  warn  you  in 
time,"  he  said.  But  there  was  no  time  to  con- 
sider the  question  then,  and  I  went  on.  As  I 
rode  through  camp  many  called  out,  "  Good- 
by,  look  out  for  bushwhackers !  " 

The  mare  moved  along  quite  briskly.  I 
was  familiar  with  the  first  ten  miles  of  the 
road,  having  been  on  picket  at  the  lower  ford 


In  Kentucky  133 

and  having  grazed  the  horses  at  different 
times  in  widow  Campbell's  pasture. 

The  widow,  who  lived  ten  miles  from  Som- 
erset, had  induced  Colonel  Zollicoffer  to 
attack  the  Union  troops  at  Mill  Springs  in 
1862,  an  attack  which  resulted  in  his  death 
and  the  defeat  of  his  forces.  It  was  believed 
that  spies  and  bushwhackers  frequented  her 
place,  and  this  fact  gave  me  some  reason  to 
be  more  cautious,  as  word  sent  out  from  there 
to  the  numerous  bands  that  the  mail  had 
passed  would  soon  bring  out  at  least  enough 
of  them  to  make  an  effort  to  capture  it. 

There  was  a  fine  spring  of  cool  water  near 
the  house,  so  I  dismounted,  and  refreshed  my- 
self and  horse.  After  a  little  breathing  spell 
I  walked  up  the  long  slope  to  the  top  of  the 
ridge  where  the  road  enters  the  mountains. 
With  deep  gorges  and  covered  timber,  this 
range  of  small  mountains  or  hills  skirts  the 
north  side  of  the  Cumberland  River. 

There  were  no  more  settlements  for  several 
miles,  and  with  nothing  to  do  but  make  the 
best  time  I  could  under  the  circumstances, 
and  keep  watch  that  I  did  not  run  into  am- 
bush, I  mounted  and  moved  on  down  the  long 
slope  through  ravines,  following  the  creek 
bed  and  through  brush,  walking  now  and  then 
up  and  down  the  steep  hills  to  give  my  mare 
all  the  rest  I  could. 

Of  course  I  thought  of  all  the  reckless  and 
daring  deeds  I  had  seen  and  heard  of,  and  of 
what  the  postmaster  had  told  me,  that  some  of 


134       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

them  would  see  me  and  try  to  get  the  mail. 
But  my  mind  said,  "  Take  care  of  yourself 
and  you  will  come  out  all  right.  They  must 
get  you  at  the  first  shot,  or  you  will  make  it 
cost  them  more  than  it  is  worth." 

After  traveling  about  ten  miles  without 
meeting  anyone,  I  came  to  a  farm.  There  was 
a  lane  cleared  out  leading  to  a  house  which 
set  back  of  the  cornfield.  It  was  about  noon 
and  I  turned  in.  It  occurred  to  me  that  a 
halt  might  prove  fatal;  but  with  no  danger 
in  sight  I  would  prove  to  my  new  animal  that 
I  was  not  a  hard  master.  The  place  was  not 
an  uncommon  one  for  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try. There  was  a  one-story  log-house  with  a 
porch  in  front,  and  only  a  few  feet  from  the 
cornfield.  One  end  opened  on  the  lane.  A 
fence  was  around  the  house  with  one  gate  at 
the  lane  and  another  gate  to  the  cornfield. 
There  were  a  few  fruit  trees,  and  a  dense 
growth  of  lilacs  and  rose  bushes,  all  in  bloom, 
which  almost  hid  the  house  from  view.  No 
one  could  see  me  as  I  approached  until  I  ar- 
rived at  the  gate.  There  were  two  women, 
apparently  mother  and  daughter,  sitting  on 
the  porch.  I  asked  if  I  could  feed  my  horse 
and  get  some  dinner.  They  said,  "  Yes,  go 
into  the  field  and  get  corn,  and  then  come  in 
and  we  will  give  you  dinner." 

They  laid  down  their  work  and  went  into 
the  house.  I  unsaddled,  and  placed  the  mail 
on  the  porch,  where  I  could  see  it  from  both 
outside  and  inside  the  house. 


In  Kentucky  135 

After  feeding  my  mare  I  took  a  seat  on  the 
porch  in  front  of  the  door,  that  I  could  ob- 
serve who  went  and  came.  The  front  room 
wras  large,  with  a  door  and  a  window  in  the 
rear  which  opened  into  the  kitchen.  There 
was  a  door  at  the  end  of  the  kitchen  next  to 
the  lane.  By  looking  through  the  window  I 
could  see  out  of  that  door.  The  women  had 
some  trouble  starting  a  fire,  but  finally  they 
got  dinner  going.  I  could  not  see  them,  but 
could  hear  all  they  said. 

They  had  set  the  table,  and  were  about  ready 
to  bring  dinner  in,  when  a  sudden  exclama- 
tion from  the  women  attracted  my  attention. 
I  saw  a  man  in  the  act  of  stepping  into  the 
kitchen  door.  His  right  hand  was  raised,  and 
he  shook  his  head  as  if  to  say,  "  Be  quiet." 

He  had  not  seen  me,  but  had  evidently  seen 
the  mare  feeding  at  the  gate,  and  knew  there 
was  a  Union  soldier  near. 

The  women  said  in  concert:  "  What  brings 
you  here  at  this  time?  " 

"  Nothing  uncommon  about  it,  I  am  here 
every  day,"  he  replied. 

This  was  only  a  sally  to  mislead  me,  for  he 
saw  me  at  once.  His  words  were  lost  to  them, 
for  they  grasped  and  embraced  him  at  the 
same  time.  If  I  had  not  had  a  good  look  at 
him  I  would  have  thought  that  the  postmas- 
ter's surmise  had  proved  true,  and  that  a  sig- 
nal from  him  would  have  brought  half  a  dozen 
desperate  men  from  the  woods.  My  first  im- 
pression was  that  he  was  not  that  type  of  man. 


136       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

They  all  passed  out  of  sight,  and  I  saw  no 
more  of  them  for  some  time.  I  heard  every- 
thing they  said,  and  as  I  thought  of  the  differ- 
ent desperate  gangs  that  have  been  led  by  gen- 
tlemanly appearing  men,  I  did  not  let  myself 
be  thrown  off  my  guard.  They  asked  him 
many  questions,  which  he  evaded  by  talking 
of  something  else,  and  in  doing  this  he  dis- 
played much  tact.  If  he  had  answered  all 
the  questions  the  women  put  to  him  I  could 
have  got  a  history  of  who  he  was,  where  he 
had  been,  and  what  his  business  was;  but  he 
chatted  freely,  and  they  were  all  pleased  and 
happy. 

At  last  the  dinner  began  to  arrive,  one  plate 
at  a  time.  The  chat  would  continue  for  a 
while,  then  another  plate  would  be  set  on  the 
table.  Finally  dinner  was  announced.  The 
young  woman  entered  with  the  coffee-pot,  and 
told  me  to  take  my  seat  at  the  table.  I  chose 
a  seat  facing  the  doors  so  as  not  to  have  any 
disadvantage  in  case  of  a  skirmish.  I  had  the 
mail  sacks  to  my  right,  the  mare  in  front  of 
the  window,  and  the  kitchen  door  to  the  left 
front,  with  a  solid  wall  to  my  back.  I  was 
master  of  the  situation,  as  I  could  see  anyone 
approach  from  any  direction  before  they 
could  see  me. 

I  sat  down  to  the  table  with  the  butt  of  the 
carbine  on  the  floor  and  the  muzzle  to  the  left 
of  my  left  elbow,  and  hitched  my  revolvers 
so  that  my  hand  was  at  the  hilt  without  a  lost 
motion.  I  awaited  the  entrance  of  the  family. 


In  Kentucky  137 

The  women  entered  first,  then  the  stranger 
walked  up  and  spoke  to  me  with  some  passing 
remark  about  the  weather,  gracefully  took  his 
seat  opposite,  then  went  on  chatting  pleas- 
antly with  the  ladies. 

I  now  felt  perfectly  at  ease.  Whoever  he 
was  and  what  his  intentions  were  made  little 
difference.  I  had  my  eye  on  him,  and  if  any- 
one had  approached  from  the  outside  I  could 
take  the  drop  on  him  and  use  him  in  my  own 
defense.  But  I  soon  dispelled  all  his  thought, 
having  made  up  my  mind  that  the  gentleman 
— for  no  doubt  such  he  was — would  defend 
and  not  plunder  me. 

Dinner  was  of  minor  importance  to  them, 
and  still  dragged  as  it  had  ever  since  the  new 
arrival.  But  I  finished,  handed  the  lady  a 
greenback  dollar,  excused  myself,  walked  out 
and  picked  up  two  sacks  and  returned  for  the 
others.  I  endeavored  to  show  no  anxiety  to 
get  away,  but  at  the  same  time  made  every 
move  count  for  something  to  that  end. 

Once  more  in  the  saddle,  my  mare  appeared 
to  show  her  appreciation  for  good  treatment, 
for  she  tripped  off  gaily,  and  my  thoughts 
turned  to  the  family  I  had  left  at  the  dinner- 
table.  That  there  were  women  at  the  house 
and  no  men  was  to  be  expected,  for  this  was 
the  case  all  over  the  country.  The  men  were 
in  the  army,  or  had  to  leave  home  on  account 
of  their  political  opinions,  and  were  either 
bushwhacking  or  were  refugees  in  a  foreign 
land. 


138       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  man  in  question  was  now  undoubtedly 
at  home,  but  where  he  had  been  and  what  he 
had  been  doing  could  only  be  conjectured  by 
his  appearance.  He  was  over  six  feet  tall, 
dressed  in  a  new  black  suit,  with  frock  coat 
which  fitted  neatly.  His  graceful  movements, 
easy  manners,  and  conversation  showed  him 
to  be  a  man  of  education  and  culture.  He  had 
black  hair  and  mustache,  the  ends  of  which 
were  sunburnt.  His  face  was  brown,  the  neck 
and  lower  jaw  a  shade  lighter  than  the  rest, 
which  would  indicate  that  a  full  beard  and 
long  hair  had  just  been  removed.  This  led 
me  to  believe  that  he  had  returned  from  the 
Southern  army  or  from  a  long  exile  in  the 
mountains. 

While  indulging  in  these  thoughts  I  met 
three  men,  two  of  whom  belonged  to  our  com- 
pany. They  were  leading  their  horses  leis- 
urely along,  but  appeared  much  surprised  at 
seeing  me  alone  with  the  mail,  and  said, 
"  You  will  never  get  to  Jim  Town  with  it,  for 
the  woods  are  full  of  bushwhackers " ;  but  I 
replied  that  they  seemed  to  be  taking  it  very 
easy  themselves.  They  said  it  was  very  dif- 
ferent with  them.  Eighteen  or  twenty  were 
strung  along  with  disabled  horses  and  they 
had  no  mail.  I  then  inquired  more  about  the 
woods  being  full  of  bushwhackers.  They  said 
reports  had  been  coming  in  all  day  yesterday 
and  to-day  of  men  being  seen,  and  they  had 
seen  some  themselves.  I  wanted  to  doubt  this 
report,  but  there  was  no  ground  for  doubt. 


In  Kentucky  139 

They  expected  to  be  fired  on  at  any  mo- 
ment. 

With  all  their  warning,  I  felt  much  safer 
on  the  last  part  of  my  journey,  for  I  was  pretty 
sure  if  anyone  desired  to  intercept  me  he 
would  have  done  so  before  now. 

At  eight  o'clock  I  was  halted  by  the  vidette, 
who  demanded  the  countersign.  I  showed 
him  the  mail  pouches,  and  he  said,  "  That  is 
sufficient  to  pass  anyone/'  and  the  officer  of 
the  guard  sent  a  man  to  show  me  to  Colonel 
Kautz's  headquarters.  It  was  a  mile  beyond 
the  dark  woods  in  which  the  troops  were 
camped.  Headquarters  was  at  a  double  log- 
house  enclosed  by  a  rail  fence.  There  were 
officers,  guards,  and  horses,  the  customary 
scene  that  usually  surrounds  such  a  place. 
They  were  all  glad  to  see  the  mail  arrive,  and 
the  guards  carried  the  sacks  in  as  I  took  them 
from  the  saddle.  An  orderly  appeared  and 
said  the  General  wanted  to  see  me.  I  en- 
tered the  room.  He  greeted  me  cordially, 
gave  me  a  chair,  and  the  first  question  he 
asked  me  was  about  the  men  out  on  the  road, 
and  he  appeared  a  little  uneasy  that  they 
would  not  get  through  all  right. 

By  that  time  some  mail  was  handed  him, 
and  he  told  me  to  wait  a  few  moments.  I  now 
began  to  look  about  me.  It  was  the  first  time 
I  had  been  in  a  brigade  commander's  quarters, 
and  I  did  not  feel  so  much  at  home  as  at  the 
dinner-table  watching  the  mail  which  I 
thought  was  in  jeopardy. 


140       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  General  soon  laid  down  his  mail,  and 
asked  many  questions  about  the  camp  at  Som- 
erset, to  which  questions  I  gave  satisfactory 
answers.  He  said  they  were  expecting  Mor- 
gan to  cross  and  were  ready  to  move  at  any 
moment.  He  was  much  pleased  to  get  the 
mail,  as  there  were  no  troops  passing  and  he 
had  not  expected  it  to  be  brought  by  one  man. 
He  told  me  to  report  to  my  company  for  duty. 
I  took  my  leave,  and  was  soon  among  the 
boys. 

They  were  camped  in  a  thick  woods  as  dark 
as  Egypt,  and  when  my  arrival  was  announced 
their  shouts  could  be  heard  all  over  camp. 
They  were  always  glad  to  get  the  mail  that 
brought  news  from  home,  and  especially  in- 
terested, as  I  had  a  new  horse  which  I  assured 
them  was  a  good  one.  It  had  to  be  led  up  to 
the  camp-fire  for  inspection.  To  the  surprise 
of  all  it  was  a  mare,  and  an  explanation  of 
how  it  all  came  about  had  to  be  given. 

The  company  had  already  been  detailed  to 
go  on  picket  in  the  morning,  and  when  the 
sun  rose  we  were  packing  our  saddles,  and 
soon  moved  out  through  Jim  Town  and  re- 
lieved a  company  about  two  miles  below  town 
on  the  river  road. 

It  was  the  fourth  day  of  July,  and  a  celebra- 
tion had  been  arranged  to  take  place  in  town, 
with  Colonel  Woolford  as  speaker  and 
Kautz's  artillery  to  fire  the  salutes. 

There  was  a  heavy  thunderstorm  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  it  was  still  raining  when  a 


MATHIAS  M.  SPRINGER 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING     140 


In  Kentucky  141 

courier  arrived  from  Colonel  Kautz's  head- 
quarters with  orders  to  draw  in  the  pickets. 
When  we  arrived  at  camp  we  learned  that 
Morgan  had  crossed  the  river,  and  a  part  of 
Company  B  had  engaged  him  at  Columbus 
on  July  3.*  Among  the  wounded  was  one  of 
my  boyhood  acquaintance,  Henry  Palmer. 

At  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  5th 
we  moved  out.  I  began  this  march  with  no 
rations  or  forage,  one  talma,  one  change  of 
underclothes,  and  no  blanket.  I  was  not  able 
to  carry  anything  from  Somerset,  and  three 
days'  rations  and  forage  had  been  issued  to  the 
company  on  the  3d.  There  had,  of  course, 
been  no  provision  made  for  me.  and  I  was 
compelled  to  depend  on  my  friends  for  what 
I  ate  and  fed.  At  daylight  we  arrived  at  the 
main  road  on  which  Morgan  had  passed,  and 
at  9  A.  M.  we  were  well  started  on  his  trail, 
and  saw  the  relic  of  the  first  depredation.  A 

*  Basil  W.  Duke,  in  speaking  of  that  affair  in  his  "  History  of 
Morgan's  Cavalry,"  said  that  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  the  divis- 
ion resumed  its  march,  pushing  on  to  Columbus.  Colonel  Mor- 
gan's regiment,  although  included  among  those  of  the  First 
Brigade,  returned  to  the  field,  was  detached  and  used  as  the 
advanceguard  of  the  column.  In  the  afternoon,  as  we  neared 
Columbus,  this  regiment  came  upon  the  enemy  moving  out  of 
town.  In  the  skirmish  which  ensued,  Colonel  Morgan  lost  a 
few  wounded,  and  among  the  number  Capt.  J.  S.  Cassell,  who 
was  shot  in  the  thigh  as  he  was  charging  with  his  accustomed 
gallantry. 

After  hearing  Sergeant  Polhemus's  version  of  this  engagement, 
and  from  what  I  can  remember,  it  is  probable  that  both  accounts 
are  correct.  Woolford's  brigade  was  camped  near  Columbus, 
and  had  a  detachment  in  the  town.  They  were  driven  out  by 
Colonel  Morgan,  who  halted  near  by  town.  The  detachment  of 
Company  B,  Second  Ohio,  came  into  town  by  a  side  road,  and 
in  the  rear  of  Colonel  Morgan,  and  did  not  know  of  the  previous 
engagement  which  Duke  mentions. 


142       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

wagon  was  standing  in  the  road,  the  team  hav- 
ing been  taken  from  the  owner  by  Morgan's 
men.  Complaints  were  coming  in  from  all 
quarters  of  the  loss  of  all  kinds  of  valuables, 
but  the  chief  complaint  was  about  the  horses 
that  were  stolen  or  captured. 

After  taking  an  hour's  rest  to  feed  and  make 
coffee,  we  moved  out  at  a  brisk  pace.  Forage 
was  plenty,  with  fields  of  green  corn  and 
shocks  of  wheat  in  abundance,  but  for  men  to 
procure  something  to  eat  was  altogether 
different. 

After  the  three  days'  rations  had  been  ex- 
hausted we  were  compelled  to  live  entirely  off 
the  country,  and  to  take  second  choice,  for 
Morgan,  passing  before  us,  was  doing  the 
same  thing.  More  or  less  troops  were  sta- 
tioned at  every  town,  and  it  was  expected  that 
they  would  be  able  to  cripple  the  raiders  and 
to  force  them  to  change  their  course,  or  to 
check  them  until  we  could  attack  them  from 
the  rear.  But  all  efforts  of  these  guards  proved 
fruitless,  for,  after  a  short  engagement,  they 
would  surrender  or  retreat  and  leave  the  road 
unobstructed.  There  were  some  hot  little  bat- 
tles; one  at  Green  River  bridge,  another  at 
Lebanon,  and  others  at  places  now  out  of  my 
memory. 

There  were  no  more  regular  halts  made,  as 
it  would  be  impossible  for  all  to  get  some- 
thing to  eat  at  one  place.  The  men  would  fall 
out,  refresh  themselves  as  best  they  could,  and 
then  gallop  up  until  they  overtook  the  column, 


In  Kentucky  143 

which  was  diminished  to  about  one-half  its 
number  by  these  constant  departures. 

Some  of  the  men  would  go  to  every  house 
in  the  town.  Large  crowds  were  always  gath- 
ered about  the  farm-houses,  and  often  they 
would  carry  away  everything  in  sight.  When 
the  women  were  cooking  for  one  party,  some 
new  arrivals  would  enter  the  kitchen  and  carry 
away  everything,  and  leave  the  party  waiting 
until  something  more  could  be  prepared,  or 
they  had  to  go  away  hungry. 

I  was  waiting  for  a  meal  one  day,  when  a 
man  rushed  into  the  kitchen,  pulled  the  pan 
of  half-baked  biscuits  from  the  oven,  turned 
them  into  his  haversack,  and  walked  out  with 
his  prize  as  unconcerned  as  if  they  had  been 
his  own.  This  was  only  one  of  a  thousand 
such  cases. 

The  scenes  and  incidents  along  the  line  of 
march  were  varied,  and  marked  with  destruc- 
tion, disaster,  and  death.  Houses  were 
burned,  men  were  killed  in  every  town,  rail- 
road trains  were  ditched,  bridges  and  boats 
were  destroyed,  the  contents  of  stores  and  pri- 
vate houses  were  scattered  and  torn,  postoffices 
were  looted  of  everything,  and  the  mail  was 
scattered  along  the  road  for  hundreds  of  miles. 
Many  letters  were  opened  and  read  by  the 
captors  and  thrown  down  to  be  read  by  their 
pursuers. 

The  day  before  we  arrived  at  the  Ohio 
River  I  was  very  hungry.  About  ten  o'clock 
I  began  to  look  for  something  to  eat,  and  for 


144       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

two  hours  I  rode  to  many  different  houses,  and 
had  fallen  behind  everything  but  the  rear- 
guard. About  twelve  o'clock  I  saw  a  large 
plantation  house  a  half  mile  from  the  road 
to  the  right,  and  there  was  no  one  going  or 
coming  from  it.  It  appeared  to  be  the  best 
chance  I  would  get,  and  so  I  rode  over.  A 
servant  came  to  the  door.  I  told  her  I  would 
like  something  to  eat.  She  told  me  to  sit 
down  and  wait,  that  dinner  would  be  ready 
soon.  I  sat  down  in  the  front  door.  It 
opened  into  the  hall,  and  a  door  stood  open 
to  the  left  of  the  hall.  I  could  see  in,  and  at 
once  discovered  it  to  be  a  very  large  dining- 
room. 

A  table  was  spread  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  and  there  were  several  servants  with 
white  aprons  and  caps  carrying  in  the  smok- 
ing dinner.  My  first  impression  was  that  I 
had  come  to  a  party  of  officers  who  had 
stopped  for  dinner,  but  a  second  thought  dis- 
pelled the  first,  as  there  were  no  horses  or 
orderlies  about  the  place.  That  caused  me 
to  wonder  what  all  the  preparation  was  for, 
although  it  made  but  little  difference  to  me, 
as  I  was  hungry,  tired,  sleepy,  and  covered 
with  dust.  That  there  was  plenty  to  eat  was 
evident.  I  sat  there  for  perhaps  thirty  min- 
utes, the  rear-guard  had  passed  on  the  road  op- 
posite, and  no  one  was  coming  from  the  com- 
mand to  eat  that  dinner. 

A  door  opened  at  the  other  end  of  the  din- 
ing-room, and  a  procession  of  gentlemen 


In  Kentucky  145 

marched  in,  each  with  a  lady  on  his  arm,  from 
whom  he  disengaged  himself  at  the  end  of 
the  table.  The  gentlemen  marched  down  one 
side  and  the  ladies  the  opposite  side  of  the 
table.  The  servant  spoke  to  the  middle-aged 
lady  and  said  there  was  a  soldier  who  wanted 
dinner.  She  very  pleasantly  directed  the  ser- 
vant to  bring  me  in  and  to  place  me  at  the 
table.  Some  of  the  young  ladies  said  I  could 
wait,  and  one  said  I  should  not  eat  with  them, 
but  the  gentleman  they  called  Colonel  told 
me  to  come  in,  that  there  was  plenty  of  room. 
The  lady  directed  me  to  a  seat  and  told  the 
servant  to  wait  on  me  and  see  that  I  got  what 
I  wanted.  Some  of  the  ladies  feigned  dis- 
gust at  the  turn  things  had  taken.  They  were 
very  glib  when  they  entered,  but  some  of  them 
had  but  little  to  say  while  I  was  there,  except 
an  occasional  slur  about  the  Yankees.  The 
gentlemen  paid  no  attention  to  this  irony,  but 
kept  on  talking. 

The  whole  proceeding  mortified  me  enough 
to  occupy  my  thoughts  until  I  was  in  the  sad- 
dle and  was  riding  away.  I  did  not  annoy 
them  long.  As  I  never  expected  to  see  them 
again,  I  rilled  the  aching  void,  thanked  them, 
and  took  my  leave. 

I  was  some  distance  behind,  and  it  was  no 
easy  task  to  overtake  the  rapidly  moving 
column.  As  the  mare  galloped  along  I  won- 
dered where  so  many  men  had  come  from, 
and  that  so  many  looked  like  our  guest  at 
dinner  on  the  3d;  but  as  they  all  wore  the 


146       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

same  style  clothes,  that  looked  as  if  they  had 
been  cut  and  made  in  the  same  shop,  and  were 
in  the  fashion  of  the  times,  and  as  they  were 
all  Kentuckians,  I  accounted  for  the  coinci- 
dence, and  concluded  that  I  had  only  chanced 
to  meet  a  church  or  wedding  party,  and  I  dis- 
missed the  matter  from  my  mind.  After 
many  years  I  learned  that  Morgan's  dis- 
mounted men  had  traveled  through  Kentucky 
on  foot,  in  wagons,  and  by  rail,  and  in  new 
clothes,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  what  re- 
cruits they  could  in  Kentucky.  They  were  to 
mount  themselves  on  Northern  horses  in  Indi- 
ana and  Ohio  and  there  take  charge  of 
the  three  thousand  new  troops  they  had  been 
promised  when  they  crossed  the  Ohio  line, 
and  these  were  the  men  that  had  been  seen 
and  mistaken  for  bushwhackers  as  they  passed 
singly  through  the  woods  near  Jim  Town. 
The  gentlemen  at  the  dinner  were  one  con- 
tingent, and  the  man  I  met  at  dinner  on  July 
3d  had  no  doubt  come  from  the  same  camp. 
They  had  discarded  their  uniforms,  put  on 
citizen's  clothes,  cut  their  long  hair,  and  with 
a  clean  shave,  leaving  the  moustache,  with 
sun-burnt  faces,  gave  them  the  semblance  of 
citizens.  Any  move  they  would  have  made 
to  antagonize  the  Union  soldiers  would  have 
exposed  and  interrupted  their  plans,  and 
therefore  I  was  not  molested  by  them. 

We  arrived  at  the  Ohio  River  some  time 
in  the  night,  and  rested  for  some  hours  at 
Brandensburg.  Morgan  had  captured  two 


In  Kentucky  147 

boats  at  this  place,  and  after  crossing  on  them 
to  the  Indiana  side  had  set  fire  to  them.  All 
boats  below  had  retreated  to  Cairo  and  those 
above  to  Louisville.  We  had  to  wait  until 
they  came  from  the  latter  place  to  ferry  us 
across. 


CHAPTER  X 

ON  MORGAN'S  TRAIL 

ON   the   march   many  horses  had  cast 
their  shoes,   and  mine  had  lost  one. 
One  farrier  was  busy  and  the  other 
unable    to    work.     I    borrowed    his 
shoeing  tools,    and  made   my  first  effort  at 
horseshoeing,  and  when  the  shoe  was  on   I 
passed   the   tools   to   someone   else,    and   this 
practice  became  common  in  our  company  for 
the  future. 

On  the  northern  side  of  the  Ohio  River  the 
trail  of  Morgan  was  more  marked.  In  the 
first  town  he  captured  and  paroled  eight  thou- 
sand troops,  consisting  of  militia,  volun- 
teers, and  other  organizations  equipped  for 
the  occasion.  He  burnt  mills,  factories,  and 
private  property  when  the  owner  refused  to 
pay  ransom. 

Our  march  continued  night  and  day,  and 
the  only  halt  was  when  the  bridges  or  ferries 
were  destroyed  by  the  raiders  and  we  had 
to  wait  until  a  way  was  procured  for  us  to 
cross.  When  there  was  a  halt  a  sheaf  of 
wheat  or  some  corn  from  the  nearest  field  was 
thrown  to  the  horse,  and  his  rider  would  drop 
on  the  ground  and  be  sound  asleep  before  he 
was  fairly  stretched  out. 

148 


On  Morgan's  Trail  149 

The  last  day's  travel  in  Indiana  was  Sun- 
day, and  we  arrived  at  the  White  Water 
River,  the  line  between  Ohio  and  Indiana,  in 
the  night,  to  find  the  bridge  destroyed,  and  it 
was  four  or  five  hours  before  a  ford  could  be 
found ;  but  we  crossed,  and  tied  up  in  the  small 
town  of  Harrison  before  daylight.  Here  I 
procured  some  writing  materials,  went  to  a 
private  house,  and  after  making  arrangements 
for  breakfast,  wrote  a  letter  home,  in  which 
I  told  the  folks  that  we  were  on  Morgan's 
trail,  that  he  was  now  in  Ohio  and  was  going 
in  the  direction  of  their  home,  but  that  I 
thought  he  would  not  get  so  far  north. 

From  the  time  we  crossed  the  Ohio  until 
the  last  few  days  of  the  raid  the  citizens  would 
fall  in  and  march  in  the  rear  of  the  column, 
declaring  they  were  going  to  see  us  catch 
Morgan.  At  daybreak  this  miscellaneous 
crowd  would  begin  to  gather,  and  in  the 
thickly  settled  places  would  amount  to  as  high 
as  four  hundred,  mostly  mounted,  but  on 
horses  not  used  to  the  saddle,  and  many  with- 
out shoes.  The  men  were  armed  usually  with 
squirrel  rifles  or  shotguns,  and  some  with 
pocket  pistols.  We  became  used  to  the  cry, 
"  You  will  catch  them  before  night;  they  are 
only  four  hours  ahead."  Or  it  might  be  one 
hour  or  two  hours.  However,  it  seemed  we 
were  close  to  them  all  the  time.  That  crowd 
would  gather  and  march  with  a  great  deal 
of  vim  at  first,  but  a  few  hours  cooled  them 
off,  and  they  would  begin  to  fall  out,  and  by 


150       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

midnight  there  would  be  but  a  few  left.  In 
the  morning  new  ones  would  begin  to  recruit 
again.  Some  stayed  a  week,  and  four  or  five 
followed  to  the  last. 

There  was  a  delay  of  an  hour  at  Harrison. 
Colonel  Kautz  wired  General  Burnside  that 
the  command  was  too  cumbersome,  and  that 
a  smaller  command  could  make  better  time. 
He  received  a  reply  to  take  his  brigade  and 
move  on,  and  let  his  judgment  be  his  guide. 

Woolford  was  sent  to  the  other  side  of  the 
Ohio  River  to  intercept  Morgan  should  he 
cross.  At  7  A.  M.  we  moved  out. 

Colonel  Kautz's  brigade  consisted  of  the 
Seventh  Ohio  Cavalry,  Ninth  Michigan 
Cavalry,  Second  Ohio  Cavalry,  and  Second 
Tennessee  Mounted  Infantry. 

As  this  day's  march  was  a  record  breaker, 
I  will  endeavor  to  give  a  more  accurate  de- 
scription of  it.  It  was  near  the  middle  of 
July,  and  the  sun  shone  down  intensely  hot. 
Most  of  those  that  had  tenaciously  held  to 
their  blankets  and  cooking  utensils  discarded 
them  during  the  day.  We  passed  through  a 
fertile  and  thickly  settled  part  of  the  country, 
and  the  towns  and  villages  were  occupied  by 
wealthy  people.  The  most  noted  was  Glen- 
dale,  a  residence  town,  seventeen  miles  from 
Cincinnati,  the  residence  of  business  and  pro- 
fessional people  who  received  their  supplies 
from  that  city.  Here  it  was  not  necessary  to 
leave  the  ranks  for  something  to  refresh  our- 
selves. The  streets  were  crowded  with  ladies 


On  Morgan's  Trail  151 

carrying  buckets  of  water  and  lemonade, 
pies,  cake,  bread  and  butter,  ham  sandwiches, 
and  in  fact  everything  that  one  could  wish  for. 
Many  of  the  ladies  were  extravagantly 
dressed,  but  they  worked  hard  and  paid  no 
attention  to  the  dripping  water  or  flying  dust 
that  covered  them  from  head  to  foot.  They 
felt  jubilant  to  know  that  they  were  permitted 
to  help  us  on  our  journey,  which  they  thought 
would  result  in  the  capture  of  the  raiders  be- 
fore night,  as  they  had  passed  but  three  hours 
before  us. 

The  bridge  was  destroyed  over  the  Ohio 
Canal,  and  boats  had  to  be  brought  from  a 
distance  on  which  a  temporary  bridge  was 
built.  This  delay  gave  us  one  and  a  half 
hours'  rest.  We  passed  by  Camp  Dennison, 
and  here  the  road  crossed  the  railroad  track. 
Close  to  the  bridge  that  spans  the  Little 
Miami  River  to  our  left,  we  saw  a  train  of 
cars  and  an  engine  that  Morgan's  men  had 
derailed.  They  lay  on  their  sides  at  the  foot 
of  the  bank.  To  our  right  we  could  see  the 
barracks  where  we  had  quarters  in  Decem- 
ber, 1 86 1,  in  which  the  troops  were  now 
camped  who  kept  Morgan  from  burning  the 
bridge.  This  he  had  made  repeated  efforts 
to  do. 

During  the  twenty-four  hours  we  covered 
a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles,  and  at  7 
A.  M.  the  next  day  went  into  camp  for  a  little 
rest.  I  took  a  bath  in  a  running  brook,  put 
on  the  clean  underclothes,  and  threw  away 


I  £2        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

those  I  had  worn  from  Somerset.  It  was 
the  first  time  I  had  taken  off  my  boots  since 
leaving  Jim  Town. 

When  we  resumed  the  march  it  was  evident 
that  the  pursuit  was  a  desperate  effort. 
Troops  had  been  shipped  by  river  and  rail  in 
and  from  all  directions.  They  had  failed  to 
intercept  Morgan  to  any  advantage,  and  the 
trail  showed  the  ruthless  hand  of  a  defiant 
enemy,  taking  horses,  wagons,  and  stores  of 
all  descriptions,  and  capturing  and  paroling 
troops.  The  country  was  thoroughly  aroused 
and  indignant  at  the  invasion.  We  pushed 
along  with  about  the  same  routine  every  day, 
until  Friday  evening  the  advance  was  enabled 
to  engage  the  enemy's  guard  at  Cheshire,  or 
Manhattan  Island. 

On  the  next  Saturday  it  happened  to  be  the 
Second  Ohio's  turn  to  take  the  lead,  with 
Company  E  in  advance  of  the  regiment.  Ser- 
geant Harris  had  charge  of  the  extreme 
advance  that  consisted  of  himself,  James 
Camp,  and  myself.  We  continued  during  the 
day  and  until  night  when  we  entered  the 
heavy  sycamore  timber.  The  trees  stood  far 
apart,  and  the  dense  foliage  made  it  so  dark 
we  could  not  distinguish  the  road.  It  was 
impossible  to  remain  awake  long  at  a  time, 
and  we  made  application  for  a  guide.  We 
were  now  in  the  country  where  the  members 
of  the  Seventh  Ohio  Cavalry  lived,  and  they 
soon  gave  us  a  man  who  had  carried  the  mail 
over  the  road  for  ten  years.  We  now  had  four 


On  Morgan's  Trail  153 

men,  and,  relieved  from  the  responsibility  of 
keeping  the  road,  we  could  sit  and  nod  as 
much  as  we  chose. 

During  all  this  time  our  ranks  had  been 
dwindling  down,  and  they  had  dwindled  very 
rapidly  for  the  last  week.  Men  gave  out  by 
falling  sick,  by  having  disabled  horses,  and 
from  various  other  causes.  There  was  a 
standing  order  for  men  unable  to  keep  up 
with  the  column  to  report  to  the  nearest  pro- 
vost marshal  for  supplies  and  transportation. 

Our  force  now  consisted  of  only  such  men 
as  were  fully  determined  to  do  their  best  to 
be  present  at  the  termination  of  the  now  des- 
perate pursuit.  At  daybreak  on  Sunday 
morning  the  guide  said  we  did  not  need  him 
any  longer,  reined  his  horse  to  one  side,  and 
dismounted. 

The  road  was  dry  under  the  large  trees, 
and  we  could  not  tell  about  how  much  time 
had  elapsed  since  the  last  troops  passed. 
About  three  hundred  yards  from  where  the 
guide  left  us  there  was  only  brush  at  the  road- 
side, and  the  dust  having  been  laid  by  the  dew, 
it  was  easy  to  see  that  a  small  squad  of  cavalry 
had  very  recently  passed,  turning  the  dry  dust 
on  top  of  the  wet.  The  road  wound  around 
on  a  low  brushy  ridge  with  a  field  on  one  side 
and  a  cabin  on  the  other.  There  was  a 
woman  in  the  cabin,  and  on  making  inquiries 
of  her,  she  said  that  some  of  Morgan's  men 
had  just  left  since  day. 

A  half  mile  beyond,  as  we  moved  along, 


154       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

a  man  stepped  out  of  the  brush  in  front  of 
us  and  started  to  run,  but  we  halted  him 
and  demanded  to  know  who  he  was.  He  said 
he  had  been  pressed  by  Morgan  for  a  guide, 
and  they  had  shot  at  him  when  making  his 
escape.  As  there  was  nothing  unusual  about 
this,  it  having  occurred  several  times  during 
the  raid,  we  accepted  his  story,  and  after  an- 
swering a  few  questions  moved  on  and  left 
him. 

A  few  yards  beyond  the  road  makes  a  short 
turn  down  a  steep  grade  to  the  valley  that  runs 
parallel  with  the  road  we  were  then  traveling. 
As  we  were  about  to  turn,  the  sergeant  cried, 
"  Look  out,  there  they  are!"  A  horse,  with 
equipments  and  a  pair  of  large  saddle  pockets 
on,  was  standing  in  the  brush,  no  doubt  where 
the  man  we  met  had  just  left  him.  We  led 
the  horse  out  and  examined  the  contents  of 
the  pockets,  which  consisted  of  dress-patterns, 
women's  shoes,  boxes  with  pocket  knives,  sil- 
ver spoons,  needles  and  thread,  with  many 
other  things  too  numerous  to  mention. 

As  we  were  making  our  examination  the 
company  arrived.  The  lieutenant  said, 
"  Cause,  take  the  horse  to  Colonel  Kautz.  He 
asked  me  to  get  one  for  him,  and  this  is  the 
first  opportunity  I  have  had."  It  occurred 
to  me  that  it  was  a  good  opportunity  to  get 
breakfast,  and  some  of  the  goods  would  be  a 
reward  for  the  favor.  So  I  threw  a  dress- 
pattern  and  a  pair  of  shoes  on  the  saddle, 
mounted,  and  road  away. 


On  Morgan's  Trail  155 

The  column  had  halted  for  a  rest.  On  ar- 
riving at  the  head  of  it  I  inquired  for  Colonel 
Kautz.  On  hearing  his  name  pronounced,  he 
raised  up  and  answered  "  Here."  After  the 
customary  salute  I  said,  "  Lieutenant  Newton 
sends  his  compliments,  with  a  fresh  horse." 
He  apparently  paid  no  attention  to  what  was 
said,  but  inquired: 

"  How  far  is  it  to  the  river?  " 

"  About  three  miles." 

"Where  did  you  get  your  information?" 

"  From  a  woman  at  the  cabin  and  a  man 
we  met  on  the  road." 

"  How  long  since  Morgan  passed?  " 

"  The  rear-guard  left  that  cabin  since  day- 
light." 

He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  exclaimed, 
"We've  got  them,  we've  got  them!  Saddle 
my  horse,  sound  assembly!" 

The  orderly  took  the  halter  from  my  hand 
and  I  galloped  away  to  the  cabin.  After  dis- 
mounting, I  walked  in  and  inquired  for  break- 
fast. The  woman  said  there  was  not  a  mouth- 
ful to  eat  in  the  house.  Morgan's  men  were 
there  all  night  and  ate  them  out.  I  walked 
out  and  brought  in  the  goods  and  threw  them 
on  the  table,  whereupon  she  gave  me  a  re- 
volver she  had  found  in  the  yard  where  some 
of  the  men  had  dropped  it  during  the  night. 

The  column  was  now  passing,  and  as  no 
breakfast  was  to  be  had,  I  mounted  and  gal- 
loped on  to  the  company,  where  they  were  all 
soundly  sleeping.  Being  pretty  well  ac- 


156       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

quainted  with  our  hazardous  situation,  I 
shouted,  "  Get  up  or  Morgan  will  get  you!" 
They  were  up  in  a  moment,  and  the  trumpet 
sounded  forward  at  the  head  of  the  column. 
Sergeant  Harris  moved  out  with  his  squad 
to  gain  the  proper  distance.  Before  we 
reached  the  foot  of  the  hill  Morgan's  videttes 
fired  on  us.  We  put  spurs  to  the  horses  and 
they  fled  into  camp,  leaving  a  large  quantity 
of  goods,  and  one  dropped  his  gun,  which  I 
picked  up  on  my  return  after  assembly  call. 
Morgan's  camp  was  situated  in  a  field,  a  part 
of  which  was  green  corn,  and  the  other  part 
wheat,  cut  and  standing  in  shock. 

The  fields  are  situated  on  a  level  plateau 
(apparently  a  valley),  surrounded  with  hills, 
and  is  about  one  mile  long  and  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  wide.  At  the  lower  end  of  the 
plateau  there  is  a  high  hill,  around  which 
the  river  makes  a  short  bend.  At  that  point 
the  gunboats  were  lying  and  guarding  the 
ferry.  The  upper  end  of  the  plateau  is  cut 
off  by  a  deep  ravine,  the  mouth  of  which  is 
the  landing  for  the  ferry.  The  ravine  runs 
back  into  the  hills  and  is  intercepted  by  a 
ravine  that  runs  to  the  left  parallel  with  the 
plateau,  at  the  upper  end  of  which  the  road 
crosses  at  the  point  where  we  entered  it.  By 
the  time  the  sergeant's  squad  had  returned  to 
take  our  places  on  the  right  of  the  company 
the  men  had  dismounted,  and  with  the  Second 
Ohio  in  advance  were  moving  down  the  ra- 
vine at  a  double-quick  pace.  Being  number 


On  Morgan's  Trail  157 

one,  I  was  required  to  hold  the  horses  for 
the  first  set  of  fours,  and  with  nothing  to  do 
but  sit  on  the  horse  and  observe  the  move- 
ments, I  was  able  to  witness  a  grand 
panorama. 

Morgan's  men  were  saddling  and  hitching 
to  the  vehicles,  while  Kautz's  men  were  pour- 
ing through,  dismounting  without  forming  in 
line,  and  running  to  catch  the  rear  of  the 
column  as  they  went  into  the  ravine.  The 
Colonel  sat  on  his  horse  as  if  there  was  nothing 
unusual  going  on,  and  when  the  men  were 
all  dismounted,  said  to  the  men  holding  the 
horses,  "  If  I  send  a  messenger  for  you,  come 
quickly.  Tie  the  horses  to  trees,  turn  them 
loose,  or  anything  to  get  there  quick."  He 
then  rode  away,  following  the  column.  He 
was  scarcely  out  of  our  sight  when  the  firing 
began  at  the  head  of  the  dismounted  column, 
simultaneously  with  the  gunboats  that  had, 
unknown  to  us,  taken  warning  of  our  ap- 
proach at  the  first  alarm  shots,  their  guns  hav- 
ing to  be  set  at  an  elevation  that  would  carry 
the  shells  over  Morgan's  camp  and  explode 
about  halfway  between  the  opposing  forces. 

At  that  time  the  excitement  was  intense. 
Everything  in  Morgan's  camp  broke;  many 
of  the  teams  were  hitched  and  others  partly 
hitched.  So  many  of  the  horses  having  been 
recently  taken  from  farms  were  fresh  and 
strong,  and  not  used  to  the  sound  of  artillery, 
so  they  tore  away,  breaking  the  lines,  one  end 
of  which  would  fly  up  in  the  air  and  then 


158       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

recoil.  Others  had  the  swingle-tree  to  one 
trace  that  would  lash  from  one  side  to  the 
other.  Wagons  were  turned  over,  scattering 
the  goods  they  had  taken  from  stores  on  the 
route.  The  ground  being  loose,  the  air  was 
soon  full  of  smoke,  dust,  corn-stalks,  sheaves 
of  wheat,  silk,  cloth,  muslin  and  calico,  one 
bolt  of  which  was  more  attractive  than  the 
others,  for  one  end  caught  to  a  horse  and  un- 
wrapped as  he  ran  and  the  other  end  flew  in 
the  air  for  a  moment  like  a  streamer  from  a 
mast. 

The  road  runs  diagonally  across  the  valley 
and  enters  the  ravine  by  a  steep  narrow  grade 
to  the  ferry.  The  artillery  and  teams  that 
were  hitched  went  to  that  point,  and  as  it 
was  soon  blocked  they  pitched  over  the  steep 
embankment  and  the  artillery  lay  at  the  bot- 
tom in  a  heap  with  the  mutilated  hodies  of 
the  men  and  horses  that  went  down  with  it. 
The  cavalary  that  made  their  escape  plowed 
deep  furrows  as  they  slid  from  top  to  bottom. 

The  firing  at  the  head  of  the  column  served 
to  cut  the  fleeing  raiders  in  two  parts.  Those 
having  passed  the  junction  of  the  ravines  made 
good  their  escape,  but  all  the  others  were  com- 
pelled to  surrender,  about  two  thousand  in 
number,  with  every  wheel  they  had  in  pos- 
session. When  an  order  came  for  the  horses 
we  delivered  them  in  close  proximity  to  Mor- 
gan's deserted  camp,  in  less  than  one  and  a 
half  hours  after  the  first  shot  was  fired. 
There  were  plenty  of  valuable  spoils  to  be 


On  Morgan's  Trail  159 

gathered  there,  of  every  description,  from 
needles  to  fine  guns,  sabers,  bolts  of  cloth,  silk, 
silverware,  gold  and  silver  coins,  greenbacks, 
etc. 

The  treasure  I  stood  most  in  need  of  was 
something  to  eat  and  a  good  sleep,  and  I  at 
once  prepared  for  it.  Some  of  the  men  went 
to  the  neighboring  valley  to  dinner,  but  Mor- 
gan's deserted  camp  furnished  the  most  of 
us.  We  found  sacks  of  green  coffee,  flour, 
etc.,  with  frying-pans  and  coffee-pots.  We 
soon  satisfied  our  appetite,  and  went  to  sleep. 
When  we  awoke  the  valley  was  full  of  men, 
women,  and  children  picking  up  the  scattered 
goods. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  MORGAN 

A    four   o'clock   we    took    up    the    trail 
through  the  woods,  but  before  night 
overtook   us  we   had   turned    into    a 
by-road.     During  the  night  it  rained 
and  owing  to  the  darkness  and  the  crossing 
of  other  roads  it  was  impossible  to  tell  which 
route  Morgan  had  traveled,  and  we  were  com- 
pelled to  halt  until  morning.     We  were  wet 
and  chilled.     At  daylight  we  moved  on. 

As  I  had  only  had  one  meal  since  some 
time  on  Saturday,  a  period  of  at  least  forty 
hours,  I  began  to  skirmish  for  breakfast, 
which  I  obtained  at  a  farm-house  about  eight 
o'clock. 

Morgan's  march  was  accelerated  from  the 
fact  that  he  had  no  train  or  artillery.  After 
traveling  north  a  short  distance  he  turned  his 
course  and  headed  for  Cheshire.  The  march 
for  seven  days  was  uneventful.  The  next 
Sunday  we  came  upon  Morgan's  rear-guard 
prepared  for  an  attack.  They  would  hold 
the  advance  in  check  until  our  column  was 
brought  up  in  line  prepared  for  an  engage- 
ment, and  then  they  would  fall  back  to  an- 
other position.  This  was  continued  and  re- 
peated until  9  P.  M.,  when  they  sent  in  a 

160 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  161 

flag  of  truce  and  surrendered.  They  said 
Morgan  was  camped  over  the  hill,  and  would 
come  in  in  the  morning,  as  they  were  too  tired 
to  do  so  that  night.  It  was  late  before  we 
got  into  camp,  and  before  day  it  was  learned 
that  Morgan  with  a  few  men  had  escaped 
and  gone  north.  We  were  allowed  to  sleep 
until  sunrise,  when  the  trumpet  sounded  as- 
sembly. We  were  then  notified  that  volun- 
teers were  wanted  to  continue  the  pursuit. 
Colonel  Kautz  pronounced  the  command 
unserviceable,  but  under  the  circumstances  the 
men  with  the  best  horses,  that  were  willing  to 
go,  would  start  at  once,  as  he  would  like  to 
get  one  thousand  men  that  would  remain  in 
the  saddle  until  Morgan  surrendered. 

Six  men  from  Company  E  volunteered. 
We  reported  to  headquarters,  where  we  joined 
the  squads  from  the  other  companies,  and 
about  one  thousand  men  from  the  brigade. 
Without  delay  we  moved  out,  and  as  we  left 
the  valley  we  met  two  of  Morgan's  men. 
They  reported  that  Morgan  had  issued  an 
order  for  all  who  could  not  stand  a  march  of 
forty-eight  hours  without  food  for  the  horse 
or  man  had  better  return  and  surrender. 
Only  two  men  had  returned.  Our  com- 
mander issued  the  same  order  and  two  men 
went  back  with  the  prisoners.  The  road  over 
which  we  had  to  travel  was  through  the  yellow 
clay  hills  of  Jackson  County  and  the  country 
was  very  thinly  settled.  I  was  able  to  get  only 
one  piece  of  corn-bread  about  three  inches 


1 62       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

wide  and  four  inches  long,  split  in  two,  to  di- 
vide with  a  comrade  during  the  forty-eight 
hours,  and  then  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  put 
my  feet  under  a  farmer's  table  and  eat  a  hearty 
meal. 

On  the  next  Friday  the  Second  Ohio  was 
in  advance  with  Jim  Camp,  Polly  Hopkins, 
and  me  in  the  extreme  advance-guard.  We 
learned  that  Shackleford  had  shipped  his 
troops  on  transports  up  the  river,  and  that  he 
was  marching  a  few  miles  to  our  right  at  the 
present  time. 

It  was  evident  we  were  crowding  the  raiders 
pretty  hard,  for  the  people  that  had  left  their 
houses  while  the  raiders  passed  had  not  re- 
turned yet.  When  we  entered  the  town  of 
Washington,  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  the 
houses  were  all  closed,  and  not  a  person  was 
seen  until  they  knew  that  we  were  Union 
troops.  Then  some  came  out  and  said  that 
Morgan  was  in  a  field  over  the  hill.  We 
moved  on,  and  when  we  came  to  the  end  of 
the  street  that  terminated  abruptly  at  a 
meadow  fence,  we  threw  off  the  top  rail  and 
went  over.  This  brought  us  in  full  view  of 
Morgan's  whole  command.  We  opened  fire, 
which  they  returned. 

We  advanced  down  the  slope,  until  within 
two  hundred  yards  of  them.  Camp  and  I 
dismounted.  Camp  went  to  the  fence  that 
ran  in  front  of  us,  and  I  turned  my  mare 
broadside  to  them,  and  fired  by  taking  rest 
across  her  shoulders.  Their  fire  was  so  brisk 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  163 

that  they  were  soon  obscured  by  the  cloud  of 
smoke.  Only  the  heads  and  front  legs  of  the 
horses  in  the  front  rank  were  visible.  The 
range  was  so  short  that  the  bullets  sounded 
like  yellow  jackets. 

The  grass  was  soon  all  cut  away  from 
around  our  feet  by  the  shower  of  bullets 
that  fell  like  so  much  hail.  When  the  Second 
Tennessee  dismounted  and  came  over  the  hill 
in  line,  Morgan's  men  broke  and  ran.  A 
volley  that  passed  over  us  was  sent  after  them, 
but  fell  short  of  its  mark. 

We  held  our  ground  during  the  skirmish 
without  a  tremor  until  the  last  few  moments, 
when  a  few  shots  were  fired  at  me  from  the 
road  which  ran  some  distance  to  the  left  of 
our  position,  and  came  from  the  enemy's 
picket.  The  balls  passed  directly  behind  me, 
and  made  me  a  little  squeamish,  as  a  cross-fire 
is  sure  to  do.  Miraculous  as  it  may  appear, 
three  men  and  three  horses  stood  in  front  of 
that  command  and  shower  of  lead  for  fully 
ten  minutes,  and  not  a  hide  or  a  hair  was 
touched,  while  the  enemy  left  some  men  on 
the  field  that  never  returned  to  the  sunny 
South. 

I  mounted  and  loped  to  the  road,  and  tried 
to  capture  some  of  the  stragglers  who  were 
foraging,  but  my  animal  was  tired,  and  they 
all  outran  me.  That  little  run  finished  my 
mare.  Her  ears  dropped  down,  and  she 
moped  about,  a  sure  sign  of  collapse.  We 
stopped  at  the  first  cornfield  for  a  short  rest, 


164       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

When  we  moved  out  with  some  other  detach- 
ment in  the  advance,  it  was  about  five  o'clock, 
and  I  soon  discovered  that  I  would  have  to 
change  my  mount  or  abandon  the  pursuit.  I 
continually  lost  ground  from  that  time  until 
morning,  walking  or  staggering  along  much 
of  the  time. 

No  horse  was  to  be  had  during  the  night 
or  soon  in  the  morning,  for  Morgan  had 
stripped  the  stables  and  pasture  fields  near 
the  road,  and  no  one  had  made  an  appearance 
from  a  distance.  At  sunrise  I  was  some  dis- 
tance behind,  but  I  was  not  alone.  There 
were  always  plenty  of  stragglers  with  worn- 
out  horses,  and  some  of  them  had  worn  out 
the  second  one  and  were  looking  for  the  third. 

I  was  on  the  alert,  and  about  eight  o'clock 
a  party  of  farmers  came  in  from  a  cross-road, 
and  we  proceeded  to  dismount  them.  We 
told  them  to  pull  off  their  saddles.  They 
fervently  protested,  but  we  had  orders  to  take 
horses  wherever  we  found  them. 

I  had  now  a  dreadful  task  to  perform.  I 
had  to  part  with  the  most  noble  animal  it 
was  ever  my  fortune  to  mount.  Her  limbs 
were  trembling,  and  every  muscle  quivered  as 
the  saddle  was  removed  from  where  it  had 
been  since  the  last  Sunday  morning.  When 
the  decayed  saddle-blanket,  which  had  been 
wet  with  rain  and  sweat  for  weeks,  was  re- 
moved, the  skin  came  with  it,  leaving  the  ribs 
bare.  The  underfolds  fell  to  pieces,  and  I 
was  able  to  save  only  enough  to  keep  the  sad- 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  165 

die  from  the  back  of  my  new  mare.  My  con- 
science hurt  me  for  the  treatment  I  had  given 
my  faithful  animal,  and  I  dared  not  look  at 
the  poor  thing.  The  tears  rolled  down  my 
cheeks  as  I  rode  away,  telling  the  farmer  to 
take  good  care  of  her.  I  assured  him  he 
would  not  regret  his  labor. 

The  new  mount  was  a  dark  iron  gray,  more 
than  seventeen  hands  high,  and  I  had  to  get 
on  a  bank  to  reach  the  stirrup ;  but  once  in 
the  saddle  I  decided  to  have  some  breakfast, 
as  I  had  had  nothing  for  twenty-four  hours. 
I  left  the  main  road  and  ate  some  breakfast 
at  a  farm-house,  and  then  proceeded  to  see 
what  I  was  riding.  I  found  her  to  be  too 
heavy  and  too  awkward  to  strike  a  lope,  but 
with  a  long  sweeping  trot  she  was  able  to 
make  fair  time,  and  I  kept  her  at  it  until  I 
overtook  the  column,  and  I  was  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Second  Ohio  by  twelve  o'clock. 

Only  twenty  of  them  were  left,  and  one 
half  of  these  were  either  exhausted  or  dis- 
mounted. That  evening  we  received  word 
that  Shackelford  was  still  moving  on  our  right 
a  few  miles  away.  His  command  consisted 
of  Woolford's  brigade  and  a  part  of  Kautz's. 

We  took  a  short  rest  that  night.  Our  de- 
tachment happened  to  stop  in  front  of  a  coun- 
try church,  and  I  lay  down  on  the  stone  steps 
with  my  head  on  the  door-sill  and  covered 
with  the  talma,  holding  the  bridle-rein  in  my 
hand.  When  we  moved  off  I  heard  someone 
who  had  a  watch  and  a  lighted  match  in  his 


•• 


1 66       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

hand  say  that  we  had  been  there  one  hour  and 
a  half.  We  then  proceeded  without  a  halt 
until  we  entered  the  village  of  Salinesville 
-on  the  P.  &.  C.  R.  R.,  and  then  we  learned 
that  Morgan  had  been  attacked  in  town  by 
the  Ninth  Michigan  Cavalry  that  had  been 
sent  out  on  a  scout  from  Shackelford's  com- 
mand, and  they  had  just  missed  getting  Mor- 
gan by  his  jumping  from  his  buggy,  leaving 
his  driver  to  be  taken  prisoner. 

We  delayed  a  while  in  town,  and  I  got 
some  dinner  and  rode  over  to  the  depot.  A 
man  challenged  me  for  a  trade.  He  said  he 
had  a  good  saddle  horse,  but  it  was  breechy 
and  balky.  He  gave  me  five  dollars  and  we 
made  the  exchange.  I  was  glad  to  ged  rid 
of  the  one  I  had,  for  it  would  not  be  safe  to 
undertake  a  fast  gait  on  her.  By  the  time  I 
was  ready  to  go  the  troops  had  been  moving 
for  some  time,  but  were  going  back  the  way 
they  came.  The  people  pointed  across  the 
hill,  and  said  that  Morgan  had  gone  that 
way. 

There  was  no  road,  the  one  going  up  the 
hill  in  the  way  they  pointed  being  separated 
by  a  farm  from  the  one  on  which  Morgan  had 
traveled.  Thinking  that  two  miles  or  more 
could  be  saved  by  crossing  the  farm,  I  went 
that  way  and  turned  in  to  the  first  lane.  The 
short  cut  enabled  me  to  join  the  advance, 
the  troops  being  at  once  noticeable  as  new 
arrivals  from  the  fact  that  their  horses  were 
fresh,  uniforms  and  equipments  bright  and 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  167 

clean.  They  told  me  they  were  West  Vir- 
ginia scouts,  having  recently  reported  to  Gen- 
eral Shackelford,  and  as  scouts  were  assigned 
the  position  in  advance.  I  gave  them  some 
detailed  account  of  the  raid. 

After  traveling  about  one  mile,  when  near- 
ing  a  cross-road,  to  our  right  we  saw  men 
both  on  foot  and  mounted  coming  at  full  run 
down  that  road  and  trying  to  cross  the  one 
we  were  on.  The  mounted  men  were  suc- 
cessful, but  the  dismounted  men  turned  back 
and  ran  into  the  woods.  I  rode  toward  them, 
halted  one  that  was  in  the  field  at  least  three 
hundred  yards  from  us,  and  ordered  him  to 
come  to  us.  After  some  parley  he  ran  into 
the  woods  near  by  him.  These  men  were 
dressed  in  citizens'  clothes  with  clean  white 
shirts,  and  we  could  not  know  whether  they 
were  Morgan's  men  or  farmers  who  were 
frightened,  and  fleeing  from  what  they  sup- 
posed to  be  Morgan's  men. 

The  scouts  continued  in  the  same  direction 
we  had  been  moving  on  the  Lisbon  road.  I 
returned  to  them,  and  said  that  I  would  shoot 
the  next  man  that  refused  to  come  to  me  when 
I  called  him.  They  were  surprised  that  such 
were  the  orders,  and  this  reveal'ed  to  me  that 
they  had  had  no  experience  as  scouts.  I  asked 
how  long  they  had  been  in  the  service,  and 
they  replied  two  months.  We  had  now 
traveled  a  half  mile  beyond  the  cross-road, 
and  I  began  to  make  observations  for  myself, 
and  discovered  that  no  cavalry  had  passsed 


1 68        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

that  road,  and  told  them  that  we  were  on  the 
wrong  road  and  that  the  men  we  had  met 
must  be  Morgan's.  At  the  same  time  we  saw 
three  men  at  a  house  that  set  back  from 
the  road  to  the  right  of  us.  We  called 
to  them  to  know  who  they  were.  They 
mounted  and  rode  away  at  a  gallop,  and 
all  leaped  from  the  saddle  at  the  same 
time  to  throw  down  a  fence  in  front  of 
them.  I  said  they  were  Morgan's  men  and 
did  not  intend  to  be  taken.  We  opened  fire 
on  them,  and  at  my  first  shot  one  of  the  scouts 
said  that  I  had  knocked  the  splinters  from 
the  fence  by  the  side  of  the  man  that  was  then 
passing  over.  We  gave  chase  and  crossed  the 
fence  where  they  did.  At  the  next  fence  they 
left  their  horses  and  took  to  the  woods. 

This  was  the  opposite  end  of  the  same 
woods  that  the  first  man  ran  into,  and  the 
scouts  wanted  to  know  what  we  would  do 
with  the  horses.  I  said  they  might  do  what 
they  liked  with  them,  but  I  wanted  one,  a 
fine  filly,  that  had  not  been  under  the  saddle 
more  than*  a  few  hours. 

Just  then  a  man  from  Morgan's  command 
rode  to  the  edge  of  the  woods  and  called  to 
us  not  to  shoot  any  more,  that  Morgan  was 
going  to  surrender,  and  had  already  sent  in  a 
flag  of  truce. 

We  returned  to  the  road,  and  in  a  few 
moments  a  courier  arrived  with  orders  for  us 
to  return  to  the  cross-roads,  where  we  waited 
to  see  the  prisoners  pass. 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  169 

If  I  had  followed  the  first  man  I  halted 
I  would  have  run  into  Morgan's  camp,  from 
which  they  were  now  filing  out  to  lay  down 
their  arms.  General  Shackelford  took  them 
in  charge.  I  dropped  down  in  the  grass  by 
the  roadside,  and  watched  the  last  remnant 
of  Morgan's  men  file  by. 

The  great  strain  was  over,  my  nerves  re- 
laxed, and  I  was  as  weak  as  a  child.  The 
only  thing  that  stimulated  me  enough  to  keep 
me  awake  was  the  knowledge  that  I  was  only 
twenty-four  miles  from  home,  though  there 
was  a  standing  order  against  furloughs.  I 
had  been  in  the  saddle  twenty-seven  days  and 
nights  almost  continuously,  had  traveled  an 
average  of  twenty  hours,  covering  a  distance 
of  fifty-five  miles  each  day,  over  hundreds  of 
miles  of  hot,  dusty  roads,  and  ate  and  slept 
but  little  except  in  the  saddle,  and  now  that 
the  most  noted  cavalry  raid  known  to  man 
had  collapsed,  I  wanted  to  go  home  and  rest. 
But  the  order  to  report  to  the  provost  mar- 
shal would  be  revoked,  and  therefore  I  must 
not  report  to  anyone,  and  thus  escape  the 
responsibility  of  disobeying  orders.  I  wanted 
to  see  my  friend,  Sergeant  Harris,  that  we 
might  go  together.  This  had  to  be  done 
quickly.  I  mounted,  and  instead  of  trying 
to  find  the  Second  Ohio  detachment,  I  was 
trying  to  evade  it.  I  soon  found  my  friend. 
He  was  stretched  on  the  grass,  and  said  that 
the  sergeant  who  had  command  of  the  detach- 
ment, of  which  there  were  now  only  eighteen 


170       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

men,  had  gone  to  see  Colonel  Woolford,  who 
had  temporary  command.  He  soon  returned 
with  orders  for  the  Second  Ohio  to  scout  ten 
days  to  pick  up  stragglers.  It  was  only  a 
pretext  to  evade  the  general  orders. 

We  marched  straight  for  Lisbon,  four  miles 
on  our  road.  My  friend  was  mounted  on  an 
old  sway-backed  horse,  and  did  not  want  to 
ride  it  home.  He  turned  it  loose  and  saddled 
the  one  I  had  captured  from  what  appeared 
to  be  Morgan's  picket  guard. 

Of  the  eighteen  men,  six  belonged  to  Com- 
pany E,  and  could  reach  home  before  the  next 
morning.  The  other  twelve  lived  about 
Cleveland,  sixty  miles  farther  west,  and  that 
distance  would  require  one  more  day's  march. 
They  went  into  camp  near  Lisbon,  while  we 
went  to  the  hotel  for  supper.  It  was  sun- 
down when  we  went  to  the  stable  for  the 
horses.  To  my  surprise  and  disgust  the  relic- 
hunters  had  rifled  my  saddle  pockets  and  taken 
every  cartridge  I  had,  not  leaving  me  one  to 
show  the  people  at  home  what  they  looked 
like. 

We  moved  at  a  lively  gait  to  Franklin 
Square.  Some  of  the  boys  were  acquainted 
with  the  landlord,  and  we  watered  the  horses 
and  took  a  little  stimulant.  We  moved  on, 
and  about  nine  o'clock  a  farmer  came  in  from 
a  side  road  and  joined  us.  He  had  the  same 
old  story  to  tell  that  we  had  listened  to  for 
many  days.  He  had  ridden  all  day  notifying 
the  people  of  the  approach  of  Morgan.  He 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  i/l 

was  so  tired,  and  his  animal  was  so  foot  sore, 
etc.  We  told  him  about  the  surrender  of 
Morgan,  and  it  was  news  to  him. 

At  length  we  loped  out,  but  he  called  to 
us  to  wait,  and  said  we  had  better  go  with 
him,  as  there  would  be  pickets  out  at  Salem. 
He  thought  we  had  better  let  him  go  ahead. 
We  told  him  we  had  been  in  the  service  long 
enough  to  know  how  to  approach  a  picket. 

It  appeared  now  we  had  an  opportunity  for 
some  fun.  We  concluded  to  take  all  risk, 
and » when  the  picket  halted  us, — the  pickets 
we  knew  would  be  the  home  guards,  with 
squirrel  rifles, — instead  of  halting,  we  would 
put  spurs  to  our  horses,  fire  a  few  shots  into 
the  air  from  our  revolvers,  and  go  by  them. 
But  the  news  had  come  by  wire  and  the  pickets 
had  been  withdrawn.  So  we  lost  the  oppor- 
tunity. 

We  entered  Salem  on  Lisbon  street.  I 
stopped  at  my  uncle's,  who  lived  on  that  street, 
and  after  an  hour's  rest  I  went  to  Main  street 
to  the  residence  of  my  friend,  got  my  filly, 
and  moved  out  for  North  Benton,  a  distance 
of  ten  miles. 

I  was  well  acquainted  with  the  road,  and 
knew  everyone  living  between  the  towns.  I 
thought  I  would  lope  over  it  all  right  in  an 
hour,  but  as  soon  as  the  horse  checked  his 
speed  to  breathe  a  little,  I  fell  asleep.  When 
I  nodded  a  little  too  far,  it  waked  me.  The 
first  thing  that  struck  my  mind  was  that  I 
had  lost  my  prize;  but  she  was  walking  along, 


172       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

dragging  the  halter.  After  this  had  occurred 
three  times,  I  tied  the  halter  to  the  saddle. 

Between  twelve  and  one  o'clock  I  arrived 
at  my  uncle's  gate,  and  I  called,  but  received 
no  answer.  I  found  it  impossible  to  stand 
still  without  falling  asleep.  I  led  the  horses 
around  to  the  stable.  The  door  was  fastened 
inside,  and  I  had  to  climb  the  fence.  I  man- 
aged to  get  the  horses  in  and  the  saddles  off, 
but  it  was  all  done  in  a  half-conscious  con- 
dition. 

As  I  staggered  about,  half  asleep,  I  was 
determined  to  get  into  the  house  before 
tumbling  over.  I  went  to  the  house  and 
called  again.  My  uncle  wanted  to  know  who 
was  there.  I  replied,  and  they  soon  opened 
the  door.  My  uncle  said  he  had  been  after 
Morgan.  As  soon  as  I  got  in  I  pulled  the 
cushion  from  a  lounge,  laid  my  head  on  it  and 
was  asleep  before  my  aunt  could  lay  a  cover 
over  me. 

The  next  day  the  twelve  men  we  had  left 
at  Lisbon  passed  by,  and  that  was  the  last  I 
saw  of  them  until  we  met  in  Cincinnati  two 
weeks  later. 

For  the  first  three  days  I  slept  almost  con- 
tinuously. Many  people  came  from  the  sur- 
rounding country  to  see  the  arms  and  horse 
equipments  of  a  trooper,  and  often  I  would 
be  talking  to  them  and  would  cut  the  conver- 
sation short  by  falling  asleep  in  the  chair. 
On  Wednesday  afternoon  an  old  schoolmate 
drove  up  to  see  me,  and  persuaded  me  to  get 


\VII,UAM  W.  \VURTS 

vSecond  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING    172 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  173 

in  the  buggy.  We  drove  to  Salem.  When 
we  arrived  at  Mead's  mill,  three  miles  from 
Salem,  we  began  to  meet  buggies,  carriages, 
and  wagons,  driving  as  hard  as  they  could  go. 
Many  of  the  people  knew  me,  and  would  call 
out,  "Have  you  got  your  gun?  Morgan  is 
in  Lisbon  with  five  hundred  men." 

We  stopped  at  a  farmhouse  to  water  the 
horses,  and  the  farmer's  wife  came  out  with 
tears  running  down  her  cheeks,  and  begged  us 
to  go  back  and  get  our  guns.  I  was  dressed 
in  citizen's  clothes,  but  I  tried  to  convince  her 
that  there  was  nothing  in  the  report,  that  I 
was  a  soldier,  and  had  seen  Morgan  a  pris- 
oner. As  we  drove  on  she  said,  "  You  are 
afraid,  or  you  would  go  and  get  your  gun." 
This  was  a  little  trying,  but  nothing  to  what 
we  had  to  contend  with  when  we  walked  the 
streets  of  Salem. 

The  country  people  had  all  left  town,  and 
the  home  guards  were  mustering,  and 
marched  about.  A  small  battery  was  on  the 
commons.  The  ladies  were  moulding  bullets, 
and  cutting  patches,  on  the  sidewalk.  All 
the  excitement  about  nothing  awaked  no  en- 
thusiasm with  me,  as  I  was  scarcely  able  then 
to  put  one  foot  before  the  other.  My  partner 
tried  to  be  very  serene  because  I  pronounced 
it  all  humbug.  I  told  him  Morgan's  ad- 
vance-guard of  twenty  men  would  have  cap- 
tured the  whole  town  without  losing  a  single 
man. 

The  women  did  not  like  to  see  us  moping 


174       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

about  without  our  guns,  and  would  call  us 
Copperheads,  or  Butternuts,  and  declare  we 
did  not  care  if  Morgan  did  come. 

These  tantrums  were  not  only  occasional, 
but  continued  from  one  end  of  the  street  to 
the  other.  It  was  pretty  hard  on  me,  but  they 
were  ladies  and  I  could  not  talk  back.  How- 
ever, I  kept  thinking  what  I  would  like  to  say. 

We  called  to  see  my  friend  Sergeant  Harris, 
and  found  his  mother,  whom  I  had  met 
the  Sunday  night  before,  very  uneasy.  She 
gave  me  the  first  straight  account  of  what  it 
all  meant.  She  said  that  the  report  had  come 
in  that  Morgan  had  surrendered  only  a  part 
of  his  men,  and  that  the  others  with  him  were 
near  Lisbon.  The  Sergeant,  and  a  few  more 
soldiers  who  were  at  home  on  leave,  had  gone 
on  a  scout  to  see  if  it  was  so.  I  pacified  her 
by  telling  her  that  perhaps  some  few  strag- 
glers had  slept  in  the  woods  and  were  now 
making  their  escape.  She  said  the  Sergeant 
had  told  her  the  same  thing,  but  she  was 
afraid  we  were  mistaken.  Finally  the  news 
came  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  report, 
and  Salem  was  herself  again.  When  we 
drove  out  we  met  wagon-loads  of  farmers  with 
guns  coming  back  into  town. 

The  provost  marshal  relieved  me  of  the 
captured  animal  before  the  week  was  out,  and 
Deacon  Hartzell,  who  wanted  a  relic  from 
the  raid,  gave  me  a  fine  saddle-horse  and  five 
dollars  for  the  one  I  rode  home.  Of  course 
I  was  responsible  to  the  Government  for  one 


The  Capture  of  Morgan  175 

horse,  and  I  expected  to  ride  the  one  I  got 
from  the  deacon. 

When  the  ten  days  expired  the  Company  E 
boys  met  at  Alliance,  and  reported  to  the  mar- 
shal for  transportation.  He  had  no  authority 
to  send  our  horses  and  their  equipments,  but 
he  gave  us  a  receipt  for  them  and  sent  us  to 
Cincinnati. 

The  horse  I  turned  in  would  have  sold  for 
twice  the  money  the  Government  was  paying 
for  horses.  But  there  was  no  help  for  me 
and  it  had  to  go  that  way.  We  did  not  grieve 
about  small  things  anyway  in  those  times. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  men 
of  Company  E  who  were  in  the  squad:  Ser- 
geant J.  B.  Wilcox,  Sergeant  A.  H.  Harris, 
Privates  James  Camp,  Charles  R.  Truesdale, 
John  W.  Reed,  and  Isaac  Cause. 


CHAPTER    XII 

EVENTS  SUCCEEDING  A  FURLOUGH 

A^TER  turning  in  the  horses  and  equip- 
ments, with  transportation  furnished 
by  the  provost  marshal,  we  boarded 
the  first  train  west  to  Crestline,  where 
we  changed  cars  for  Cincinnati.  We  arrived 
in  due  course  of  time  and  reported  to  the  pro- 
vost marshal  of  that  place.  We  asked  for 
transportation  to  our  regiment,  but  we  did  not 
know  where  it  was.  For  some  reason  un- 
known to  us  he  regarded  us  rather  sus- 
piciously; but,  as  we  thought,  without  a  just 
cause.  We  explained  to  him  that  we  had  left 
the  camp  at  Somerset,  Kentucky,  and  the 
regiment  at  Cheshire,  Ohio.  He  would  do 
nothing  for  us  unless  we  furnished  evidence 
from  an  officer  that  we  belonged  to  a  regiment 
and  that  the  commanding  officer  wanted  us 
to  report  to  it. 

He  finally  agreed  to  make  an  effort  to  learn 
the  whereabouts  of  the  regiment.  We  left  the 
office,  and  returned  two  or  three  times,  only 
to  learn  that  he  could  not  find  the  whereabouts 
of  our  regiment.  As  we  had  now  spent  our 
money,  we  applied  for  rations.  And  he  gave 
us  an  order  on  what  was  termed  Camp  Distri- 
bution. We  presented  the  order  to  the  officer 

176 


Events  Succeeding  a  Furlough       177 

in  charge.  He  said  they  were  so  crowded 
that  we  would  have  to  be  there  one  hour  be- 
fore each  meal. 

This  camp  was  the  second  and  third  stories 
of  a  large  block  situated  in  the  business  part 
of  the  city,  and,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  it 
was  on  Second  street.  The  entrance  to  the 
camp  was  by  way  of  stairs  from  the  back  yard. 

We  were  on  hand  promptly  at  eleven 
o'clock  for  dinner,  and  found  a  horrible  con- 
dition of  affairs.  The  entrance  to  the  dining- 
room  was  by  a  narrow  hall  from  the  steps. 
The  soldiers  would  fall  in  line,  beginning  at 
the  dining-room  door,  make  a  solid  packed 
line  that  extended  down  into  the  lot,  and 
in  the  line  were  enough  men  to  fill  the  dining- 
room  three  times.  In  this  crowd  there  were 
but  few  men  that  were  actually  soldiers.  The 
most  of  them  had  their  names  on  the  rolls 
of  some  organization,  and  of  course  eventually 
got  pay,  and  no  doubt  a  pension.  They  were 
the  raggedest,  filthiest,  lousiest  set  I  ever  saw 
in  the  center  of  a  civilized  community.  They 
did  not  know  where  their  command  was,  and 
did  not  want  to  know.  For  that  reason  they 
had  neither  money  nor  clothes.  They  would 
fall  into  that  line  and  crowd  up  tight  together 
like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  and  wait  from 
one  half  to  one  hour  and  a  half  three  times 
a  day,  rather  than  go  to  the  front  to  do  duty. 
Some  of  them  had  been  there  four  months, 
and  to  all  appearances  would  be  there  till 
their  time  expired.  No  doubt  they  are  now 


178        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

holding  office  or  standing  in  some  conspicuous 
place  with  a  G.  A.  R.  badge  pinned  on  the 
breast  of  their  coats. 

The  table  was  set  with  a  tin  plate,  knife, 
fork,  and  spoon  for  each  one,  and  a  cup  for 
coffee.  At  dinner  there  would  be  a  few  pans 
of  boiled  beef  or  beans,  with  plenty  of  bread. 
At  breakfast  the  pans  were  full  of  potatoes 
boiled  with  the  skin  on.  Supper  consisted  of 
coffee  and  bread.  At  night  we  were  shown 
the  sleeping-apartment.  It  was  a  large  room 
with  three  tiers  of  bunks.  Each  tier  was 
three  bunks  high,  and  each  bunk  had 
a  sack  of  straw  and  one  single  blanket 
in  it.  All  had  been  used.  The  room 
was  poorly  lighted,  and  the  floor  was 
covered  with  filth.  To  lie  on  the  ground 
was  a  luxury  in  comparison.  We  could  do 
no  better  for  the  present,  and  looked  hourly 
for  some  of  the  Second  Ohio  officers  to  help 
us  out. 

The  Burnett  House  was  the  popular  resort 
for  officers,  and  we  would  call  frequently  to 
hear  the  news  and  see  if  anyone  came  we  were 
acquainted  with.  We  also  called  frequently  at 
the  office  of  the  camp  to  inquire  if  they  had 
received  any  word  from  the  regiment. 

Finally  the  clerk  told  us  that  we  might  stay 
there  as  long  as  we  wanted  to,  that  no  one 
would  hurry  us  away,  and  that  the  supply 
contract  was  worth  more  to  them  than  men 
at  the  front.  This  was  equivalent  to  saying 
that  they  did  not  care  what  became  of  the 


Events  Succeeding  a  Furlough       179 

army.  They  made  money  from  the  miserable 
rations  that  they  were  daily  dealing  out  to 
the  half-starved  men,  which  were  too  good 
for  those  who  were  willing  to  stay  there  and 
eat  them. 

However,  it  was  revolting  to  intelligent 
men  whose  object  was  to  prosecute  the  war  to 
a  speedy  termination,  and  to  shrink  from  noth- 
ing to  help  to  bring  it  about  in  order  that 
they  might  enjoy  something  better  in  the  fu- 
ture. Yet  we  must  be  insulted  by  the  offer 
of  a  miserable  existence  like  that!  We  felt 
as  if  all  we  had  done  was  lost. 

We  managed  to  get  a  letter  through  to 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  received  an  order 
to  the  provost  marshal  to  forward  all  Second 
Ohio  boys  to  that  place.  This  was  the  ter- 
minus of  the  railroad  and  the  supply  camp 
for  the  troops  operating  in  southern  Kentucky. 

We  lost  no  time  in  leaving,  and  we  landed 
in  Lexington  in  a  few  hours.  The  army  was 
then  fitting  out  for  a  campaign  in  East  Ten- 
nessee, and  we  reported  to  the  commanding 
officer.  He  told  us  there  was  an  officer  fitting 
out  a  train-load  of  supplies,  and  he  would  be 
glad  to  have  us  go  to  assist  in  guarding  the 
train.  He  said  he  had  just  sent  out  a  squad 
with  some  Second  Ohio  boys  in  it,  and  he 
thought  they  had  taken  all  the  horse  equip- 
ments. He  did  not  know  how  soon  he  could 
fit  us  out,  but  he  would  do  what  he  could. 
We  explained  to  him  that  we  had  nothing, 
not  even  a  blanket  to  sleep  on.  He  gave  us 


180       Four  Years  <with  Five  Armies 

an  order  to  the  officer  mentioned,  and  told 
us  to  do  the  best  we  could  until  the  next  day. 
He  would  see  what  could  be  done  then. 

We  soon  learned  that  the  officer  was 
camped  with  the  train  some  place  out  of  town, 
but  no  one  knew  exactly  in  what  direction. 
We  wandered  about  in  search  of  information, 
and  when  night  came  on  we  were  scattered 
about  town.  Some  had  been  fortunate 
enough  to  find  something  to  eat  and  others 
had  done  without.  My  friend  Harris  and  I 
wandered  about  until  late  at  night,  and  for 
the  want  of  better  accommodations  lay  down 
on  a  board  in  a  large  camp  building  that  had 
neither  floor  nor  doors. 

The  night  was  cold,  and  we  would  get  up 
and  walk  about  now  and  then  to  warm  our- 
selves, then  we  would  lie  down  again  for  a 
short  nap.  In  the  morning  we  all  met  at  the 
corral.  Some  had  fared  pretty  well,  but  the 
most  of  them  were  no  better  fixed  than  we 
had  been. 

At  an  early  hour  the  officer  referred  to 
reported  to  the  quartermaster.  He  was 
hustling  about  as  the  average  officer  is  when 
in  charge  of  that  kind  of  business.  He  had 
heard  of  us  at  headquarters,  and  had  inter- 
ested himself  in  our  behalf.  Everything  we 
needed  was  at  hand  except  horse  equipments. 
We  drew  rations  for  the  first  time  since  the 
3d  of  July.  Fortunately,  a  load  of  con- 
demned horse  equipments  arrived  and  was 
turned  in  to  the  quartermaster  that  day.  He 


Events  Succeeding  a  Furlough       181 

gave  us  the  privilege  to  take  anything  we 
could  use. 

We  set  to  work  at  once,  and  picked  out  the 
best  we  could  find  in  the  lot.  We  replaced 
the  broken  and  missing  part  of  one  article 
with  the  good  part  of  another  article.  If  a 
bridle-bit  was  broken  we  would  take  the  head- 
stall and  replace  the  bit  from  one  that  had  a 
broken  head-stall.  In  this  way  we  were  able 
to  fit  ourselves  out  fairly  well,  and  before 
night  we  were  in  the  saddle  again.  I  am 
unable  to  describe  from  memory  my  new 
horse.  I  know  that  I  exchanged  it  in  a  few 
days  for  another  one  that  I  will  describe  later 
on. 

We  reported  to  the  officer  at  his  camp 
where  he  had  collected  his  train  loaded  with 
supplies.  He  had  a  miscellaneous  squad  of 
men  belonging  to  different  regiments,  includ- 
ing ourselves,  who  numbered  thirty.  Some 
of  the  men  belonged  to  infantry  and  artillery 
and  were  dismounted. 

We  marched  out  next  morning,  and  after 
a  few  days  we  arrived  at  Crab  Orchard,  Ken- 
tucky, where  the  army  was  camped,  and  re- 
ported to  our  regiment.  We  were  greeted 
with  cheers  and  shouts  of  welcome,  and  we 
felt  as  if  we  were  home  again.  We  arrived 
too  late  to  get  any  clothes,  and  I  was  unable 
to  get  any  trace  of  what  I  had  left  at  Somer- 
set, which  included  an  overcoat. 

It  was  not  long  until  the  army  took  up  its 
march  south.  Owing  to  the  cumbersome 


182       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

trains  and  artillery  the  march  was  necessarily 
slow  and  easy  on  our  horses,  but  very  tedious 
to  the  trooper  who,  being  used  to  more  active 
service,  wanted  vent  for  his  restless  spirit. 
Finally  the  order  came  for  the  cavalry  to 
pull  out  and  cross  the  Cumberland  Moun- 
tains at  Winter's  Gap. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

CAMPAIGNING   IN   EAST  TENNESSEE 

THE  main  army  was  traveling  on  the 
road  that  leads  from  Crab  Orchard 
to  Knoxville  by  way  of  Cumberland 
Gap.     The  division  to  which  we  be- 
longed moved  along  the  base  of  the  mountain 
to  Big  Creek  Gap,   and  there  we  met  the 
enemy.     A  small  force  of  cavalry  had  been 
stationed  there  to  prevent  invasion  of  East 
Tennessee. 

As  soon  as  the  long  column  of  cavalry  made 
its  appearance  the  outposts  withdrew,  and 
gave  us  an  open  road  to  Loudon,  a  small  manu- 
facturing town  situated  on  the  Richmond  and 
Nashville  railroad. 

We  were  now  thoroughly  installed  in  the 
enemy's  country,  and  the  old  routine  of  skir- 
mishing, picket,  and  patrol  duty,  with  tear- 
ing up  railroads,  destroying  supply  cars  and 
bridges,  etc.,  began  in  earnest.  But  there 
was  one  feature  new  to  us  and  worthy  of  note. 
The  men  who  were  compelled  to  remain  in 
the  mountains  to  escape  military  duty,  who 
were  commonly  called  bushwhackers  from 
the  fact  that  they  never  missed  an  opportunity 
to  fire  on  their  enemies,  were  Union  men  in 
that  locality,  and  instead  of  harassing  us,  acted 

183 


184       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

as  a  protection  by  furnishing  us  with  informa- 
tion about  the  movements  of  the  enemy. 

The  Union  men  were  compelled  to  live  in 
the  mountains  to  evade  the  conscript  officers, 
who  had  been  scouring  the  country  for  two 
years,  pressing  every  man  they  could  find  into 
the  ranks  of  the  Southern  army.  Our 
previous  campaigns  had  been  in  the  Border 
States,  where  the  bushwhackers  belonged  to 
the  other  side,  and  watched  every  opportunity 
to  pick  off  the  videttes,  or  pick  up  a  single 
trooper  if  he  chanced  to  get  behind  the  com- 
mand. 

After  effectually  destroying  everything  that 
could  be  of  any  use  to  the  enemy,  we  marched 
to  Knoxville.  Every  inch  of  this  road  was 
bitterly  contested,  but  the  enemy's  efforts 
proved  fruitless,  for  we  marched  into  Knox- 
ville by  a  series  of  flank  movements  modeled 
after  the  Morgan  method,  which  proved  very 
disastrous  to  the  enemy,  with  little  or  no  loss 
to  us. 

General  Burnside  commanded  this  raid  in 
person,  and  on  his  arrival  at  Knoxville  found 
himself  not  only  in  possession  of  that  place, 
but  in  possession  of  the  only  road  that  would 
afford  an  escape  for  Pemberton's  forces  at 
Cumberland  Gap.  We  moved  up  to  the  base 
of  the  mountain  from  the  south  side. 

The  Second  and  Seventh  Ohio  cavalry 
were  detached,  and  under  command  of 
Colonel  Kautz,  moved  to  the  west  of  the  road 
to  go  to  the  top  of  the  range  and  attack  the 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      185 

fort  on  the  flank.  This  was  a  very  hazardous 
march,  and  from  a  military  point  of  view  im- 
practicable. We  climbed  for  fourteen  hours 
up  the  steep  mountains,  along  the  sides,  and 
around  the  head  of  apparently  bottomless 
ravines  or  gorges.  Some  of  these  places 
terminated  abruptly  at  perpendicular  bluffs, 
and  to  cross  we  rolled  trees  across  them, 
covered  the  trees  with  brush  and  dirt,  and 
passed  over  in  single  file,  leading  our  horses. 

About  ten  o'clock  on  the  second  day  we 
passed  the  summit  and  came  to  an  open  glade 
that  descended  on  the  north  side  of  the  range 
with  easy  traveling. 

We  mounted,  and  after  marching  a  mile  or 
more  the  head  of  the  column  turned  to  the 
right,  crossed  a  ravine,  and  passed  a  point 
that  extended  a  little  below  us  on  the  opposite 
ridge.  To  the  surprise  of  everyone,  we  found 
ourselves  right  in  the  midst  of  Pemberton's 
wagon-train.  The  teamsters  were  eating  din- 
ner and  were  as  much  surprised  as  we  were. 
They  said  that  they  had  an  early  dinner  be- 
cause their  commander  was  then  negotiating 
terms  of  surrender  with  General  Burnside. 
They  also  said  that  there  had  never  been  a 
guard  on  that  side  of  camp,  as  it  was  believed 
by  everyone  that  a  footman  could  not  ap- 
proach from  that  direction.  We  could  see  the 
flag  that  floated  over  Pemberton's  headquar- 
ters at  the  fort  on  top  of  the  mountain. 

The  column  halted,  and  Colonel  Kautz  sat 
on  his  horse  asking  questions  of  the  teamsters. 


1 86       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

There  was  a  little  stir  among  Pemberton's 
troops  that  lay  in  the  breastworks  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then  the  flag  descended,  and  the 
surrender  was  complete.  White  flags  could 
now  be  seen  at  various  points,  and  we  marched 
up  the  main  road,  along  the  line  of  breast- 
works, full  of  men  that  had  stacked  their  arms. 
We  met  General  Burnside  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  and  stopped  to  rest  and  get  dinner. 
The  troops  from  the  north  side  of  the  moun- 
tain— the  Ninth  Corps — marched  up  and  took 
possession  of  everything.  We  joined  our  bri- 
gade and  marched  toward  Knoxville,  and  the 
cavalry  took  up  the  trail  of  Buckner  as  he  re- 
treated up  the  Jonesboro  pike  toward  Vir- 
ginia, destroying  the  railroad  and  salt  works, 
and  then  withdrew  to  Tennessee,  followed  by 
a  large  force  of  cavalry  that  had  been  con- 
centrated to  oppose  us.  Engagements  with 
them  became  of  daily  occurrence.  At  one 
time  we  did  not  miss  a  single  day  in  the  week. 
Sometimes  they  gained  an  advantage,  and  at 
other  times  the  advantage  was  in  our  favor. 
In  this  way  the  road  between  Massey  Creek 
and  Jonesboro  was  traveled  over  several  times 
before  winter  set  in.  During  that  campaign 
we  subsisted  from  the  supplies  gathered  from 
the  country,  with  the  exception  of  sugar  and 
coffee.  Forage  was  plenty  the  first  time  we 
passed,  but  it  soon  began  to  be  scarce  near  the 
main  roads.  We  would  press  the  mills  and 
grind  flour,  and  by  using  corn-cob  ashes  in  the 
place  of  soda  made  slap-jacks,  the  only  kind 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      187 

of  bread  we  had  for  four  months.  With  ham 
gravy  and  honey,  of  which  there  was  an 
abundance,  we  did  well  for  a  time,  but  this 
soon  gave  out,  and  we  were  often  fortunate  to 
have  parched  corn.  Supplies  being  scarce  on 
the  main  roads,  foraging  parties  were  sent  into 
the  unfrequented  neighborhoods  to  bring  in 
what  they  could  carry.  I  was  with  one  of 
these  parties  one  time  when  we  left  camp  at 
Jonesboro  and  went  out  twelve  miles. 

I  concluded  to  have  some  honey,  as  there 
were  several  hives  on  a  bench  by  the  house. 
The  hives  were  hollow  trees  cut  off  about 
thirty  inches  long,  with  a  board  nailed  over 
one  end  for  a  top,  the  other  end  resting  on  the 
bench,  with  small  holes  cut  for  the  bees  to 
pass  through.  When  the  hive  is  lifted  from 
the  bench  the  bottom  end  is  open.  A  hive  of 
honey  full  of  bees  is  not  a  very  nice  thing  to 
handle,  unless  one  understands  the  insect  per- 
fectly, but  the  ordinary  trooper  had  learned 
to  subject  the  bee  to  discipline  on  some  oc- 
casions. To  carry  a  hive  twelve  miles  on 
horseback  was  not  to  be  undertaken  for  the 
mere  pleasure  of  it.  However,  my  partner 
and  I  thought  that  we  were  equal  to  the  task, 
and  proved  that  we  were. 

Each  trooper  collected  from  a  half-dozen 
to  a  dozen  chickens,  a  sack  of  corn,  and  two 
bundles  of  fodder,  which  he  placed  on  either 
side  of  his  horse.  This  had  come  to  be  a  com- 
mon thing  with  us.  Often  we  had  to  ford  the 
Halsten  River  with  our  loads,  when  the  water 


1 88        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

would  carry  the  fodder  or  hay,  as  the  case 
might  be,  above  the  horses'  backs,  and  only  the 
straps  prevented  it  from  floating  away. 

The  reader  will  want  to  know  how  we 
gathered  the  honey.  It  takes  three  good  men 
to  capture  a  well-protected  hive.  It  is  best 
accomplished  in  this  way:  Two  men  take  a 
talma,  and  a  third  man  picks  up  the  hive  very 
carefully.  The  talma  is  slipped  under  it  and 
gathered  up  very  quickly  around  the  hive.  A 
saddle  strap  is  buckled  around  it,  and  then  it 
can  be  managed  with  safety.  Sometimes  this 
was  not  done  properly,  and  then  there  was 
trouble  in  camp.  We  succeeded  admirably  this 
time.  The  hive  was  about  as  much  as  one 
wanted  to  lift.  My  partner  and  I  each  had 
a  full  sack  of  corn  on  the  pommel  of  the  sad- 
dle, and  this  made  a  very  steady  resting-place 
for  the  hive.  We  would  shift  it  from  one  sad- 
dle to  the  other  about  every  mile.  It  was  late 
in  the  night  when  we  passed  through  the 
streets  of  Jonesboro.  The  inhabitants  had  all 
retired,  and  the  boys  thought  they  would  have 
a  little  fun.  They  shook  the  chickens,  made 
them  squall,  and  raised  such  a  din  that  the  peo- 
ple got  out  of  bed  and  looked  out  the  windows 
to  see  what  was  going  on.  This  was  very  un- 
usual, for  many  times  we  marched  through 
towns  and  seldom  saw  anyone  after  bedtime. 
We  arrived  in  camp,  and  it  is  needless  to  say 
we  had  honey  on  our  slap-jacks  before  going 
to  sleep. 

While  I  am  in  the  honey  business  I  may  as 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee       189 

well  mention  another  honey  expedition  in 
which  we  did  not  fare  so  well.  It  also  was 
near  Jonesboro.  When  foraging,  someone 
saw  some  honey  about  a  mile  from  camp  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  dark  we  went  on  a  raid.  The 
house  was  situated  in  the  edge  of  the  woods 
and  was  the  usual  type  of  farmhouse  made  of 
hewed  logs,  with  chimney  on  the  outside.  The 
bee  shed  extended  from  the  corner  of  the 
house  to  the  chimney,  with  a  bench  under  it. 
On  the  bench  the  hives  were  arranged.  The 
chinking  was  knocked  out,  which  left  a  hole 
by  the  side  of  the  chimney  about  large  enough 
to  throw  a  cat  through. 

We  could  see  the  family  standing  in  front 
of  a  blazing  fire,  and  talking  to  some  soldiers. 
We  approached  cautiously,  and  took  the  hives 
without  the  knowledge  of  anyone  inside  the 
house.  Grant  Reed  picked  it  up,  after  the 
talma  had  been  strapped  around,  and  walked 
away  with  it  on  his  shoulder.  It  was  about 
all  one  wanted  to  carry.  When  we  had 
crossed  the  first  field  he  said,  "  Take  it,  it  is 
heavy." 

I  was  next  to  him,  and  I  quickly  shifted  it 
to  my  shoulder.  It  was  heavy,  it  is  true ;  but 
it  was  evident  that  there  was  another  reason 
for  sudden  transfer.  The  bees  covered  my 
neck  and  head  at  once.  I  ran  along  a  few 
steps,  and  called  to  Truesdale,  who  was  just 
ahead  of  me,  "  Charlie,  take  it  quick;  it  is  too 
heavy  for  me." 

He  ran  up  and  took  it  on  his  shoulders,  but 


190       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

he  did  not  go  any  distance,  and  down  went  the 
hive.  He  did  not  like  the  joke  very  well  when 
he  saw  us  fighting  the  bees  away.  I  had 
stripped  off  my  shirt  to  get  them  from  the  in- 
side. As  we  were  all  stung  but  one,  Trues- 
dale  said  he  had  made  a  mistake  by  not  shift- 
ing the  hive  to  the  fourth  man,  and  joined  in 
with  the  fun. 

In  folding  the  talma  in  a  hurry  we  had 
not  been  careful  and  had  left  a  wrinkle 
in  the  talma  that  made  a  hole  for  the 
escape  of  the  bees,  and  the  more  time  the  more 
bees,  and  Charlie  had  the  full  benefit. 

The  hive  now  lay  on  the  ground  split  in  two 
pieces.  A  new  plan  had  to  be  adopted.  We 
took  two  rails  from  the  fence,  and  put  the 
pieces  on  the  rails  just  as  they  lay  on  the 
ground.  Each  man  took  the  end  of  a  rail. 
This  could  not  have  been  done  in  daylight, 
but  the  bee  is  not  much  of  a  night  campaigner, 
and  we  got  to  camp  a  little  worsted,  but  con- 
sidered the  spoils  repaid  us  for  our  wounds, 
which  were  all  healed  inside  of  two  or  three 
days. 

We  were  finally  compelled  to  fall  back  on 
the  main  army  by  a  superior  force  of  the 
enemy  under  the  command  of  General  Long- 
street,  whose  object  was  to  drive  General 
Burnside  out  of  Tennessee.  When  we  arrived 
at  Strawberry  Plains  there  was  no  forage  at 
Knoxville,  and  the  cavalry  was  ordered  to 
withdraw  to  the  base  of  the  Cumberland 
Mountains.  There  had  been  many  troopers  in 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      191 

that  section,  and  they  had  consumed  every- 
thing but  the  corn  in  the  fields.  As  there 
was  no  mill  in  the  neighborhood,  we  lived  on 
parched  corn  for  a  few  days. 

The  siege  of  Knoxville  was  now  at  its  worst 
stage.  The  troops  in  the  besieged  town  were 
in  a  starving  condition,  while  trains  loaded 
with  supplies  could  not  approach  nearer  than 
Cumberland  Gap.  Our  position  protected 
them  from  being  taken  by  the  enemy's  cav- 
alry. When  Longs  tree  t  concluded  to  evac- 
uate, a  part  of  his  forces  moved  under  his  per- 
sonal command  toward  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  it  was  thought  to  be  his  intention  to 
take  possession  of  the  Gap,  which  would  com- 
pel Burnside  to  evacuate  Knoxville  through 
Middle  Tennessee.  As  soon  as  it  was  learned, 
we  moved  out  to  intercept  him,  taking  a  posi- 
tion at  the  fords  of  the  river.  The  force  was 
divided  to  guard  two  fords  five  miles  apart. 

Our  regiment  was  stationed  at  what  was 
called  the  upper  ford.  The  crossing  was  only 
a  country  road,  but  the  ford  was  an  excellent 
one.  When  the  advance  of  Longstreet's  army 
arrived  at  the  main  ford  they  found  it  well 
guarded  by  three  regiments  of  our  brigade, 
who  gave  them  a  lively  reception  which  lasted 
until  night.  There  was  no  more  effort  made 
to  cross,  but  troops  continued  to  arrive  all  the 
next  day,  and  they  made  a  formidable  ap- 
pearance. 

The  next  day  it  was  evident  that  the  enemy 
was  making  a  move  of  some  kind,  and  an  order 


192        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

came  to  the  Second  Ohio  to  reconnoiter. 
Company  E  was  detailed  to  cross  the  river 
and  to  march  to  the  first  road  that  turned 
down  the  river.  Sergeant  Wilkins  took  com- 
mand of  the  advance-guard,  of  which  I  was 
one.  We  traveled  about  two  miles,  and  came 
to  the  cross-road  and  turned  to  the  right,  which 
we  followed  about  two  miles,  then  stopped  at 
a  house.  At  first  sight  it  was  evident  that  there 
had  been  much  tramping  about  the  yard  and 
road  very  recently,  but  no  one  appeared  to  be 
there  then.  By  close  inspection,  however,  we 
found  a  man  who  had  had  a  hard  tussle  with 
old  man  corn  juice,  and  after  rubbing  his  eyes 
open  and  attempting  to  straighten  up  his  but- 
ternut suit,  he  said  the  Johnnies  had  been  there 
drinking  and  carousing  all  night,  and  he  had 
had  a  hard  time  to  get  rid  of  them. 

The  column  came  up  and  halted,  but  the 
conversation  was  uninteresting  to  me.  I  rode 
on  to  see  what  was  over  the  hill  beyond,  went 
down  the  first  hill,  crossed  a  bridge,  and  up 
another  steep  hill.  As  I  started  up  at  the  bot- 
tom two  men  started  down,  coming  from  the 
opposite  direction.  Of  course,  they  belonged 
to  Longstreet's  command. 

There  was  nothing  left  for  me,  according 
to  my  way  of  thinking,  but  to  make  the  best 
of  the  situation.  We  met  on  the  side  of  the 
hill.  I  had  shown  no  surprise  at  seeing  them, 
and  that  threw  them  off  their  guard.  I  hailed 
them: 

"  Hello,  boys!    How  far  to  the  command?  " 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      193 

"  Just  over  the  hill.  Don't  you  hear  the 
wagons  moving?  "  they  said. 

At  the  same  time  I  laid  my  left  hand  on  the 
neck  of  the  horse  next  to  me,  and  with  my 
right  hand  placed  my  revolver  in  the  face  of 
the  rider,  and  said,  "  You  are  my  prisoner." 

"  I  told  you  he  was  a  damned  Yank,"  one 
of  them  said. 

I  told  them  to  unbuckle  their  belts  and  to 
let  their  arms  fall  to  the  ground.  They  said 
they  had  no  arms.  I  told  them  to  ride  on 
down  the  hill,  and  I  turned  to  follow  them, 
when  Sergeant  Wilkins  made  his  appearance 
on  the  other  hill  and  met  us  at  the  bridge.  I 
turned  the  men  over  to  him  and  rode  back  to 
the  top  of  the  hill,  and  I  could  see  the  enemy's 
train  passing  so  near  I  could  hear  the  whips 
crack  as  the  drivers  hurried  their  teams  along. 

Our  mission  was  now  performed,  and  we 
returned  to  camp  as  fast  as  possible  to  give  the 
news.  The  next  day  we  moved  out. 

Burnside's  army  was  in  hot  pursuit.  Col- 
onel Woolford,  who  had  been  stationed  some 
place  on  the  opposite  side  of  Knoxville,  had 
flanked  them,  and  the  Ninth  Corps  fell  on 
their  rear-guard  and  almost  annihilated  it. 
We  came  into  the  Jonesboro  pike  and  kept  up 
the  pursuit  until  near  the  Virginia  line.  The 
enemy's  cavalry  had  now  been  reinforced,  and 
they  instituted  a  new  method  of  assault,  of 
which  we  were  informed  before  they  at- 
tempted it. 

By  this  time  the  nights  were  getting  cold, 


194       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

and  we  were  almost  naked,  not  having  drawn 
clothing  since  we  left  Crab  Orchard.  I,  for 
one,  had  but  one  shirt,  that  had  not  been 
washed  except  in  a  cold  stream  for  a  long 
time.  This  compelled  us  to  build  large  fires, 
which  revealed  our  position  to  the  enemy. 
They  intended  to  surround  us  in  the  night, 
but  our  information  enabled  us  to  prevent  any 
disaster. 

The  proposition  to  employ  a  little  strategy 
came  from  the  Second  Ohio,  and  General 
Carter  detailed  us  to  carry  it  out.  While  the 
enemy  was  sleeping  in  order  to  be  ready  for 
the  night  work,  our  command  built  big  fires, 
and  all  moved  out  but  our  regiment,  which 
kept  pickets  out  until  about  ten  o'clock,  when 
we  moved  also,  and  by  daylight  the  enemy 
charged  in  to  find  nothing  but  the  fires.  This 
was  repeated  three  or  four  times,  until  we  fell 
back  to  Greenville,  and  we  were  preparing 
for  the  same  thing  the  following  night. 

After  breakfast  a  part  of  Company  E  was 
detailed  for  picket  duty.  The  company  was 
short  in  commissioned  officers,  and  a  lieu- 
tenant was  detailed  from  Company  M  to  take 
command  of  the  guard.  We  went  out  through 
the  town  of  Greenville  to  the  female  seminary 
that  stood  on  a  hill  near  the  Jonesboro  pike. 
A  small  reserve  was  left  there,  with  instruc- 
tions to  keep  a  vidette  out  beyond  the  semi- 
nary. We  then  returned,  and  another  reserve 
was  sent  out  on  the  road  that  intercepted  the 
pike  between  the  town  and  the  seminary.-  We 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      195 

then  went  to  the  town  and  out  on  the  road  run- 
ning north,  where  the  officer  established  the 
main  reserve.  A  corporal  was  instructed  to 
post  two  videttes  in  advance  of  this  reserve. 
He  called  Hopkins  and  me  out  to  take  the  first 
relief.  As  we  went  out,  Hopkins  said  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  road,  having  been 
out  to  a  doctor's  house  several  times  while  we 
were  up  the  country.  The  first  time,  he  said, 
he  had  remained  at  Greenville  with  the 
wagon-train  for  several  days. 

About  three-fourths  of  a  mile  out  we  passed 
over  a  hill  at  the  foot  of  which  the  road 
forked.  One  road  wound  around  to  the  left 
and  followed  the  creek  which  flowed  through 
a  narrow  ravine,  and  the  corporal  left  us  on 
the  side  of  this  hill,  where  we  could  watch 
both  roads.  There  had  been  a  cold  rain  fall- 
ing all  the  morning.  It  was  now  about  eleven 
o'clock,  and  Hopkins  said  if  I  would  hold 
the  posts  he  would  go  to  the  doctor's  to  get  his 
dinner,  and  have  some  prepared  for  me. 

I  was  not  much  of  a  hand  for  that  kind  of 
expedition,  but  told  him  to  go,  and  if  every- 
thing turned  out  all  right  I  might  go  when 
we  were  relieved.  The  doctor  lived  out  on 
the  main  road,  and  Hopkins  was  scarcely  out 
of  sight  when  a  woman  with  a  small  boy  and 
a  sack  of  apples  on  a  horse  made  their  ap- 
pearance on  the  same  road.  I  supposed  that 
he  had  met  them.  I  halted  her  and  she  said 
she  was  going  to  town  to  dispose  of  the  apples. 
I  told  her  I  was  sorry  to  put  her  to  so  much 


196       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

trouble,  but  she  would  have  to  obtain  a  pass 
from  Lieutenant-Colonel  Purrington,  who 
was  in  command  at  camp  three  miles  from 
town,  if  she  wanted  to  return.  She  made  no 
reply  but  rode  on. 

Having  had  occasion  to  remove  my  belt 
that  held  my  revolver,  I  had  hung  it  on  the 
fence  and  forgotten  to  replace  it.  I  had  some 
fresh  pork  in  my  saddle  pockets,  and  as  we 
had  killed  the  hog  since  breakfast,  we  had  not 
eaten  any  of  it.  I  built  a  fire  by  the  side  of  a 
log,  with  some  difficulty,  however,  as  the  rain 
was  still  falling,  and  began  cooking  the  meat. 
While  I  was  at  work  at  the  fire  I  thought 
there  was  some  kind  of  dead  sound  mingling 
with  the  falling  rain,  but  I  could  make  noth- 
ing out  of  it. 

The  mare  that  I  have  promised  to  describe 
had  a  coat  as  soft  and  blue  as  a  mole.  She  was 
about  fifteen  hands  high,  strongly  built,  quick 
and  active,  always  ready  to  go,  but  not  very 
fast.  She  was  standing  on  the  bank  about  four 
feet  above  the  road,  with  the  bridle-rein 
thrown  over  the  end  of  the  rails.  My  back 
was  to  the  road,  and  just  as  the  meat  began  to 
broil,  I  was  startled  by  a  voice  behind  me.  I 
turned  quickly,  and,  to  my  surprise,  there  was 
the  woman.  I  ran  down  the  bank,  and  she 
said: 

"  I  did  not  get  a  pass." 

"  Why  didn't  you?"  I  asked. 

"  The  rebels  are  in  town." 

"In  Greenville?" 


Campaigning  in  East  Tennessee      197 

"Yes,"  she  said;  "did  you  not  hear  the 
shooting?  " 

"  No;  but  where  are  our  men?  " 

"  They  are  all  killed  and  captured." 

I  ran  up  the  bank,  threw  the  rein  over  my 
mare's  head,  put  my  foot  in  the  stirrup,  and 
before  I  could  straighten  up  in  the  saddle,  she 
was  in  the  middle  of  the  road.  I  heard  horses 
coming  as  hard  as  they  could  run  just  over 
the  hill.  I  took  up  the  rein  and  brought  up 
my  gun,  which  had  the  stock  broken  off,  and 
thought  I  would  give  them  one  shot  and  then 
take  leg  bail.  I  intended  to  take  the  left-hand 
road,  when  two  men  dashed  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  almost  obscured  by  rain,  fog,  and  the 
flying  mud  the  horses  were  throwing. 

I  called,  "  Halt!  "  but  they  did  not  halt,  but 
shouted  out,  "  Don't  shoot!  " 

I  recognized  the  officer  and  sergeant  of  the 
guard.  The  woman  had  already  disappeared, 
and  they  said,  "  Which  way  can  we  get  to  the 
camp?  " 

"  Take  the  left-hand  road.  But  we  must 
get  Policy,  he  has  gone  foraging." 

"  To  hell  with  Policy! "  was  the  reply,  and 
they  were  already  dashing  down  the  byroad. 
My  mare  was  nagging  the  bit,  and  I  let  her 
go,  and  the  way  we  splashed  the  water  when 
we  struck  Stony  Creek  crossing  was  a  cau- 
tion. A  sheet  of  water  would  fly  up  in  front 
of  me  that  I  could  not  see  through.  In  some 
places  the  road  followed  the  creek  a  hun- 
dred yards  or  more.  I  now  realized  the  dis- 


198        Four  Years  <with  Five  Armies 

advantage  I  had  from  the  mare  I  rode.  Her 
hoofs  were  soft  and  would  not  hold  the  nails. 
I  had  not  gone  five  miles  until  she  was  bare- 
footed all  around.  I  heard  every  shoe  whiz 
through  the  air,  and  one  went  straight  up  by 
my  head.  The  last  shoe  was  gone,  and  the 
hoof  was  liable  to  break  next,  and  then  I 
would  be  on  foot.  I  could  not  bring  them  to 
a  halt,  although  the  horses  had  all  begun  to 
show  signs  of  fatigue,  and  had  to  be  urged  to 
keep  from  slacking  their  gait.  After  travel- 
ing the  main  road  about  six  miles  we  arrived 
at  Maloney's  store. 

There  was  a  cross-road  from  the  pike,  and 
we  met  the  farmers  that  lived  near  it  driving 
their  stock  to  the  mountains.  They  said  a 
courier  had  notified  them  that  the  Second 
would  fall  back  to  Bull's  Gap.  We  discussed 
the  situation,  and  argued  as  to  what  was  best 
to  do.  I  contended  that  we  should  travel  the 
cross-road  to  the  pike  and  meet  the  regiment, 
but  they  said  we  would  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy. 

I  said  that  the  Second  would  not  stampede. 
Unless  they  did,  we  would  have  plenty  of  time 
to  reach  the  pike  before  they  passed.  I  argued 
that  it  was  policy  to  get  to  the  regiment  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment  to  save  ourselves 
from  censure.  As  they  were  in  the  majority 
by  rank  and  numbers,  we  continued  our  jour- 
ney, and  arrived  at  Bull's  Gap  a  little  after 
dark.  We  reported  to  General  Carter,  in 
command  there  at  that  time. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

MORE  TENNESSEE  SERVICE 

MAN    and   beast  were   covered   with 
mud.     Blankets   and   clothes   were 
wet,    and   our   boots   were    full   of 
water.     I  held  the  horses  while  the 
others  went  in  and  told  the  lamentable  tale, 
that  was  bad  enough  at  best.    They  pictured 
it  in  its  worst  colors,  and  told  of  the  capture 
of  the  guard  which  they  had  been  in  command 
of,  which  I  feared  was  too  true.    They  were 
sure  the  regiment  had  been  captured.    I  con- 
sidered this  erroneous,  and  not  calculated  to 
help  us  in  any  way. 

General  Carter  heard  their  story,  and  from 
the  tone  of  his  voice  I  knew  he  gave  it  but 
little  credence.  He  told  them  to  go  to  his 
boarding-house  and  put  up  for  the  night  and 
report  to  him  for  orders  in  the  morning.  The 
General  and  his  headquarters  people  slept  in 
their  tents,  but  took  their  meals  and  stabled 
their  stock  at  the  hotel.  The  buildings  were 
of  hewed  logs  and  had  been  erected  to  accom- 
modate many  people.  Each  stable  had  five 
or  six  cribs  and  was  surrounded  by  a  shed. 

Our  first  care  was  our  horses.  We  went  to 
the  stable,  where  the  horses  were  already  in 
great  numbers,  and  with  no  light  it  was  some 

199 


2OO       Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

time  before  room  could  be  made  for  us.  We 
succeeded  at  last  in  getting  them  comfortably 
cared  for,  and  went  to  the  house,  a  large 
double  one,  two  stories  high,  with  huge  fire- 
places. They  had  blazing  fires  and  the  rooms 
were  well  lighted.  It  looked  nice  and  com- 
fortable. One  of  the  large  rooms  was  used  for 
a  dining-room  and  the  other  for  a  sitting- 
room.  The  kitchen  was  built  by  itself,  as 
was  the  usual  custom  in  the  South. 

The  house  was  crowded  with  officers,  wait- 
ing supper.  We  took  seats  near  the  fire,  and 
the  steam  soon  began  to  rise  from  our  wet 
clothing. 

The  table  had  been  cleared  after  one  supper, 
and  we  had  to  wait  until  it  was  prepared 
again.  Supper  was  announced  and  we  sat 
down. 

The  fate  of  my  comrades  being  uncertain, 
my  thoughts  were  very  sad.  Every  once  in  a 
while  my  thoughts  were  interrupted  by  the 
declaration  from  my  companions,  who  were 
talking  to  each  other,  that  the  regiment  were 
prisoners.  The  more  they  talked  it,  the  more, 
firmly  they  became  convinced  of  it,  and  the 
more  ridiculous  it  appeared  to  me. 

After  we  had  finished  supper  we  took  seats 
by  the  fire,  until  another  table  full  of  officers 
took  their  seats.  Then  we  went  to  the  stable, 
with  our  clothes  still  wet  and  smoking  from 
the  effect  of  the  fire.  We  became  suddenly 
cold,  for  the  air  felt  like  ice  as  soon  as  we  got 
outside.  Our  teeth  began  to  chatter  as  if  we 


More  Tennessee  Service  2OI 

had  chills,  and  we  made  all  haste  to  get  under 
cover.  We  went  into  the  hay  loft,  and  each  of 
us  dug  a  hole  in  the  hay,  spread  the  muddy 
blankets,  pulled  off  our  boots,  and  crawled  in 
with  our  coats  on.  Then  we  reached  out  with 
one  hand  and  pulled  the  loose  hay  over  us, 
and  were  soon  warm  and  went  to  sleep. 

In  the  morning  we  crawled  out,  fed  the 
horses,  and  prepared  for  breakfast.  We  were 
a  motley  looking  set,  to  be  sure,  to  sit  down 
with  officers  in  their  polished  uniforms.  It 
made  but  little  difference  to  me,  as  there 
would  be  no  attention  paid  to  a  private's  uni- 
form, clean  or  dirty.  With  the  others  it  was 
different.  They  brushed  and  scraped  to  re- 
move the  mud  and  wrinkles  that  had  dried  in 
their  clothes.  It  was  of  no  use.  The  cloth 
showed  the  hard  usage  it  had  received. 

General  Carter  took  breakfast  at  the  first 
table,  and  most  of  the  meal  was  eaten  in  si- 
lence. At  last  one  of  the  staff  officers  ventured 
to  ask  the  General  about  the  man  who  had 
come  in  the  night  before  and  reported  the 
Second  Ohio  had  been  captured  by  the  enemy. 
The  General  gave  the  staff  officer  to  under- 
stand that  he  discredited  the  report  and  he 
finished  the  conversation  by  saying,  "  Lieu- 
tenant, you  can  report  to  your  regiment  this 
morning."  Then  the  staff  knew  that  they 
were  sitting  at  the  table  with  the  man  in 
question. 

Breakfast  finished,  we  saddled  up,  and  they 
led  out  on  the  back  track.  I  followed  close 


2O2        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

behind,  and  had  I  been  a  stranger  and  listened 
to  what  they  said  I  would  have  believed 
that  the  boys  on  picket  were  all  lost  except 
us. 

This  doleful  tale  made  me  feel  bad,  and  I 
was  comforted  by  saying  to  myself :  "  You 
know  those  boys  too  well  to  believe  any  such 
thing.  You,  too,  escaped  from  the  place,  why 
might  not  some  of  them  have  done  likewise. 
They  are  as  full  of  resources  as  you  ever  dared 
to  be.  As  for  moral  courage,  they  can  dis- 
count either  of  you.  Your  trip  to  Bull's  Gap 
is  proof  of  this." 

While  I  was  thinking  about  it,  we  came  to 
a  camp  of  those  men  from  the  regiment  who 
had  had  disabled  horses  and  had  been  ordered 
out  in  advance.  Among  them  was  Jim  New- 
ton, who  had  been  in  our  detail.  He  was 
mounted  on  a  mule,  and  had  made  his  escape 
after  a  desperate  run. 

From  them  we  learned  the  true  state  of  the 
case  and  of  the  capture  of  some  of  our  boys, 
and  of  the  hard  run  for  liberty  made  by  the 
others. 

There  was  a  pond  of  water  by  the  side  of 
the  pike  between  Greenville  and  our  camp, 
where  we  used  to  water  in  passing  that  way. 
While  those  who  had  escaped  were  passing 
it,  Newton's  mule  dashed  into  the  pond  to 
drink:  It  was  then  the  rider  used  the  ex- 
pression that  afterward  became  famous: 
"  Damn  a  mule!  He  hain't  got  no  more  sense 
than  to  try  to  drink  in  a  scare  like  this."  At 


More  Tennessee  Service  203 

the  same  time  he  dashed  the  spurs  into  its  al- 
ready bleeding  side. 

We  learned  from  them  that  as  soon  as  the 
news  reached  camp,  which  was  as  soon  as  the 
fleetest  horse  could  get  there,  a  battalion  was 
ordered  out  to  reestablish  the  picket  posts. 
They  followed  about  the  same  tactics  we  had 
followed,  the  enemy  having  disappeared  be- 
fore they  arrived  in  town. 

When  they  came  to  the  post  I  had  aban- 
doned, they  found  Hopkins,  often  called  Pol- 
ley,  sitting  calmly  by  the  fire  I  had  built,  with 
a  stomach  full  of  the  doctor's  best,  and  think- 
ing about  the  doctor's  girls.  He  knew 
nothing  about  what  had  happened,  and  was 
loath  to  tell  them  anything  about  me.  He  was 
finally  compelled  to  tell  them  that  he  had  been 
away,  and  when  he  came  back  I  was  gone, 
and  he  expected  me  at  any  moment.  When 
he  was  informed  of  the  facts  he  took  my  re- 
volver and  went  to  camp.  That  night  they 
drew  in  their  pickets,  and  made  the  customary 
night  march,  which  brought  them  several 
miles  nearer  to  Bull's  Gap. 

When  we  arrived  we  went  to  headquarters. 
I  held  the  horses  and  they  went  in  to  report. 
It  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  Purrington  that 
did  the  talking.  It  was  evident  there  was 
trouble  ahead  for  my  unfortunate  companions. 

The  lieutenant  resigned  and  the  sergeant 
had  to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks.  We  rode 
to  the  company,  and  were  greeted  with  shouts 
and  jeers,  such  as,  "  Can't  stand  a  scare  better 


204       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

than  that,"  and  everything  else  that  would 
make  a  fellow  feel  unpleasant.  As  I  felt  in 
no  way  responsible,  I  did  not  take  it  to  heart 
very  much. 

Our  company  lost  Corporal  Arnold  and  six 
men  in  the  skirmish. 

I  looked  for  Hopkins,  and  he  said  he  had 
my  revolver,  and  he  told  me  all  about  the 
doctor  and  his  girls.  The  girls  had  no  doubt 
waited  all  the  afternoon  for  me  to  come  to 
dinner.  The  curious  part  about  it  was,  he  had 
not  seen  a  woman  and  a  boy  on  a  horse.  The 
only  conclusion  we  could  reach  was  that  she 
had  come  into  and  left  the  road  just  around 
the  first  bend,  which  was  but  a  few  hundred 
yards  away,  although  he  said  there  was  no 
road  or  lane. 

We  heard  the  stories  of  the  boys  who  had 
made  their  escape  by  strategy  and  downright 
hard  riding.  Charlie  Truesdale,  for  one  in 
particular,  who  was  hard  pushed,  and  riding 
at  full  speed  through  the  streets  of  Greenville, 
was  saved  by  a  woman  who  opened  a  gate  and 
beckoned  him  to  turn  in.  He  entered,  for  his 
horse  was  near  given  out.  She  told  him  to 
go  into  an  outbuilding  that  stood  near  by  and 
she  pulled  off  the  saddle  and  went  into  the 
house  with  it.  His  pursuers  saw  the  horse, 
but  did  not  know  it  was  a  cavalry  horse,  and 
kept  right  on.  After  the  enemy  had  left  town 
he  saddled  up  and  went  to  camp.  He  is  now 
a  prominent  attorney  in  Youngstown,  Ohio. 

We  moved  again  that  night.    The  Johnnies 


EDWARD  P.  SMITH 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING   204 


More  Tennessee  Service  205 

still  kept  up  the  night  attacks  on  the  fine  fires 
we  had  built  for  them. 

The  next  day  all  the  force  withdrew  from 
Bull's  Gap,  and  our  brigade  tried  to  make  a 
permanent  stand.  The  enemy  pushed  us  to 
the  utmost  with  a  superior  number  and  flank 
movements,  and  drove  us  back  to  Massey 
Creek. 

What  is  known  as  the  battle  of  Massey 
Creek  was  on  a  cold  December  day,  and  the 
rain  and  battle  continued  until  late  in  the 
night.  There  was  nothing  to  indicate  the  posi- 
tion of  the  troops  but  the  flash  of  the  rifles  as 
they  spit  forth  their  blaze  of  fire  like  a  line 
of  lightning  bugs. 

The  enemy  advanced,  dismounted,  and  we 
held  our  fire  after  the  skirmish  line  had  been 
driven  in,  until  they  were  close  to  us.  A 
charge  was  ordered,  and  as  we  poured  out  a 
blaze  that  was  plainly  visible  for  a  mile  in 
length,  we  rushed  forward,  and  the  troops  be- 
came badly  mixed  from  one  end  of  the  line 
to  the  other.  The  two  lines  were  now  one. 

The  troops  engaged  were  all  men  of  ex- 
perience, and  they  at  once  recognized  the  fact 
that  a  shot  was  as  liable  to  take  effect  on  friend 
as  foe. 

In  the  effort  to  extricate  ourselves  a  pecu- 
liar incident  occurred.  Each  man  in  calling- 
out  the  name  of  his  regiment  gave  the  enemy 
the  tip,  and  they  too  would  take  up  the  call, 
which  decoyed  the  unsuspecting  into  their 
lines.  They  would  then  be  told  to  lay  down 


206       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

their  arms.  Both  sides  lost  many  men  by  this 
clever  trick. 

The  night  was  employed  in  getting  into 
some  kind  of  shape,  and  there  were  only  a 
few  that  got  any  rest  at  all. 

The  Second  Louisiana  Tigers  had  fought  in 
front  of  us,  and  we  had  made  several  of  them 
prisoners.  When  day  broke  and  before  the 
fog  rose  we  discovered  a  cavalry  force  at  our 
left  and  rear.  The  situation  was  now  consid- 
ered a  grave  one.  It  was  well  known  that 
General  Carter  had  crossed  the  Holsten 
River,  leaving  his  trains  behind  to  be  pro- 
tected by  the  cavalry,  and  that  the  last  of  it 
had  left  Massey  Creek  only  the  day  before. 
They  were  notified  that  it  was  uncertain 
whether  or  not  we  could  hold  our  position, 
and  to  move  back  farther  was  not  only  to  lose 
the  train,  but  to  expose  the  front  of  General 
Burnside's  half-naked  soldiers  who  were  daily 
dying  from  starvation.  It  would  also  cut  us 
off  from  any  further  supplies,  the  country  be- 
hind us  having  been  stripped  long  since. 
Many  a  poor  infantryman  had  lain  down  on 
the  roads  to  die  of  weakness.  There  was  de- 
termination written  on  every  man's  counte- 
nance. It  was  evident  that  there  would  be  a 
desperate  struggle  before  we  would  yield. 
The  eyes  of  all  this  suffering  mass  were  on  us, 
and  to  give  way  was  to  flee  to  some  place  where 
supplies  could  be  obtained,  and  to  let  the 
enemy  prey  upon  the  starving  infantry. 

The  fog  soon  gathered  around,  and  all  was 


More  Tennessee  Service  207 

obscure  except  in  our  immediate  vicinity. 
After  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  line.  Coffee 
was  cooked.  We  were  ready  for  action.  The 
trumpets  sounded  officers'  call,  and  the  pallor 
that  spread  over  the  countenances  of  the  men 
showed  their  anxiety,  fearing  the  worst,  but 
hoping  that  the  order  would  be  to  advance 
and  intercept  the  flanking  party.  This  could 
be  done  with  safety  under  cover  of  the  fog. 
Our  lieutenant  returned  with  a  large  envelope 
in  his  hand.  He  spoke  a  few  words  to  the 
first  sergeant,  who  rode  out  in  front  and  said, 
"  Gause,  ride  to  the  front." 

I  promptly  obeyed.  He  told  me  to  report 
to  the  lieutenant  at  once,  who  handed  me  the 
envelope,  and  told  me  to  deliver  it  to  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  dismounted  men 
of  our  brigade*  at  Strawberry  Plains.  As  I 
passed  through  the  line  the  boys  all  looked 
after  me,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  We  will  not  see 
you  again  soon." 

The  sergeant  rode  some  distance  with  me, 
and  cautioned  me  to  be  on  my  guard,  as  I  was 
in  danger  of  meeting  the  enemy  at  any  time. 
I  felt  the  weight  of  my  responsibility,  and, 
half  in  jest  and  half  in  earnest,  I  said,  "  I  be- 
lieve you  are  determined  to  get  me  killed  or 
captured,  any  way." 

His  look  and  reply  showed  my  remark 
to  be  a  cruel  stab,  and  I  was  sorry  I  had 
said  it. 

"  That  is  not  it,"  he  said.  "  They  wanted  a 
man  that  would  go  and  get  back,  and  we 


208        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

thought  if  there  was  one  in  the  regiment  that 
could  do  it,  you  could." 

"  If  that  is  it,  I  would  attempt  it  if  I  knew 
I  would  not  get  two  hundred  yards,"  I  re- 
plied. 

With  no  other  ceremony  I  rode  away.  The 
roads  were  badly  cut  up,  and  I  kept  in  the 
woods  and  fields  until  I  arrived  at  Newmar- 
ket, where  I  overtook  the  rear  end  of  the 
wagon-train.  They  had  pulled  through  the 
mud  all  night,  and  had  gone  into  camp.  They 
said  they  had  but  little  hopes  of  ever  getting 
any  farther.  Within  a  mile  of  the  river,  the 
road  was  narrow,  and  was  hemmed  in  by  a 
ravine  on  one  side  and  an  embankment  on  the 
other.  It  was  blocked  up  by  the  artillery  and 
wagons  waiting  their  turn  to  cross.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  large  envelope  tucked  under 
my  belt  I  would  have  had  to  await  my  turn, 
but  that  gave  me  the  right  of  way,  and,  after 
an  hour's  delay,  crowding  and  jamming,  I 
reached  the  pontoon,  crossed,  and  delivered 
the  dispatch. 

Then  I  went  to  find  our  company  boys,  with 
whom  I  stayed  all  night.  We  soon  learned 
that  the  dispatch  was  an  order  for  all  men  that 
were  able,  to  return  to  the  command  with  me. 
Only  one  man  reported  he  was  not  well,  but 
said  he  would  rather  be  at  the  front  than 
starve  to  death  there.  To  go  to  the  pontoon 
to  cross  might  detain  us  all  day,  so  we  con- 
cluded to  go  to  the  ford,  which  was  high  and 
considered  dangerous. 


More  Tennessee  Service  209 

We  got  information  from  a  farmer  who 
lived  near  by.  He  regarded  it  as  dangerous 
to  anyone  that  did  not  know  the  ford,  and  ad- 
vised us  not  to  attempt  it.  The  river  was  wide 
and  the  landing  narrow  on  the  opposite  side. 
Nothing  daunted,  we  bolted  in,  and  about  half 
way  across  the  water  took  the  horses  off  their 
feet,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  hold  our 
breath  and  stick  to  them.  The  landing  was 
in  the  mouth  of  a  deep  canyon.  The  moun- 
tain terminated  abruptly  at  the  river  on  each 
side  of  it.  The  road  was  along  the  side  of  the 
ravine  by  a  steep,  narrow  grade  that  brought 
us  out  on  level  spot  with  a  farmhouse  on  it. 

It  was  raining,  and  before  we  reached  the 
road  we  were  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog.  Our 
horses  took  advantage  of  that  and  circled 
around  to  the  house  again.  When  we  took  a 
fresh  start  they  repeated  and  brought  us  to 
the  house.  It  was  now  noon,  and  the  fog  hav- 
ing lifted  a  little  we  were  able  to  pursue  our 
journey. 

At  Newmarket  we  stopped  at  a  hotel.  After 
supper  we  went  to  the  stable  to  take  a  sleep. 
People  were  coming  and  going  all  night.  As 
fast  as  the  women  could  cook  there  were 
plenty  of  men  waiting  to  eat.  In  the  morn- 
ing we  fed  the  horses,  made  some  coffee,  and 
pursued  our  journey. 

To  our  surprise,  we  found  the  command 
farther  up  the  valley.  The  enemy  had  been 
badly  used  up  in  the  night  engagement,  and, 
instead  of  resuming  the  attack,  had  gathered 


2io       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

up  their  dead  and  wounded  and  withdrawn. 
We  continued  to  follow  them,  but  not  aggres- 
sively, for  the  command  was  pretty  well  used 
up  from  the  long  and  hotly-contested  cam- 
paign. 

One  instance  is  worthy  of  note.  When  we 
came  to  where  the  enemy  appeared  to  have 
made  a  permanent  stand  the  troops  were  dis- 
mounted and  advanced  in  line.  When  the 
order  sounded  to  charge,  John  Z.  Johnson  of 
our  company  fell,  and  to  all  appearances  was 
dead  and  was  left  for  such.  The  line  gained 
the  position  they  wanted  and  held  it.  In 
about  one  hour  John  Z.  got  up  and  walked 
away.  He  was  yet  dazed,  and  did  not  appear 
to  know  that  he  had  been  hurt.  The  surgeon 
with  his  knife  extracted  a  ball  that  had  struck 
fairly  on  the  point  of  the  skull  at  the  back  of 
his  head,  and  had  flattened  out  between  the 
skin  and  skull.  After  Johnson  was  shot  in  the 
head  he  was  always  known  as  "  Hard-head," 
and  he  appeared  to  enjoy  the  distinction. 

Of  the  numerous  engagements  that  we  took 
part  in  my  memory  fails  to  serve  me  as  to  the 
details.  I  remember  the  names  of  some  of 
the  places,  which  were  Jonesboro,  Blue 
Springs,  Bluntville,  Rheatown,  Bristol,  Wau- 
tago  Station,  Elaine  Cross-Roads,  and  Dand- 
ridge. 

By  the  2  $th  of  December  winter  had  set  in 
severely.  The  snow  fell  continually  for  two 
or  three  days,  and  attained  a  depth  of  at  least 
twenty  inches.  We  camped  in  the  woods  near 


More  Tennessee  Service  21 1 

Massey  Creek,  and  only  kept  from  freezing 
by  felling  large  trees,  cutting  them  into  logs, 
and  making  fires  around  which  we  stood 
night  and  day.  By  clearing  the  snow  away 
and  piling  brush  on  the  bare  ground  and 
spreading  the  blankets  on  it  we  were  able  to 
get  a  short  nap.  But  the  frost  drawing  from 
the  ground  by  the  heat  from  the  fire  would 
soon  drive  us  out. 

Daily  reports  came  in  of  the  number  of  men 
that  had  frozen  to  death  in  the  infantry  camps, 
where  they  were  poorly  clad,  not  having 
drawn  clothing  since  August.  The  cavalry 
were  in  the  same  condition,  and  the  squad  re- 
turning last  from  the  Morgan  raid  had  drawn 
none  since  June.  My  shirt,  the  only  one  I  had 
had  for  the  last  three  months,  was  hanging  in 
strips. 

The  year's  campaign  having  ended  with  no 
prospect  of  a  termination  of  hostilities,  many 
of  the  strongest  Union  supporters  were  dis- 
couraged and  disheartened.  To  strengthen 
their  position  the  authorities  concluded  to 
prove  that  the  men  in  the  field  were  deter- 
mined to  have  victory  or  die  in  the  struggle. 
To  that  end  they  gave  the  three  years'  men 
an  opportunity  to  enlist  for  a  continued  term. 
The  rolls  were  opened,  and  we  made  short 
work  of  the  severe  privations  by  availing  our- 
selves of  the  opportunity. 

There  were  some  little  inducements  how- 
ever, offered  for  those  who  reenlisted.  We 
were  to  be  known  as  veterans,  a  kind  of  bre- 


212       Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

vet  rank,  and  the  unexpired  time  of  the  first 
enlistment  was  to  be  canceled  and  the  full 
bounty  paid.  The  new  term  was  to  commence 
immediately,  with  four  hundred  dollars' 
bounty  and  immediate  transportation  to  the 
original  place  of  enlistment,  with  a  thirty-day 
leave  of  absence. 

To  my  surprise  and  astonishment,  my  friend 
Harris  did  not  respond  to  this  call.  I  went  in 
search  of  him  and  asked  him  his  reason.  He 
said  he  thought  when  his  time  expired  he 
would  have  had  enough  of  it.  I  was  sorry, 
but  did  not  blame  him.  He  was  a  man  of 
honor  and  integrity.  The  pay  was  small  and 
we  had  no  thanks,  and  our  visit  to  Cincinnati 
had  indicated  that  there  was  no  reward  for 
the  perils  and  privations  we  had  to  endure. 

With  me  it  was  different.  I  had  left  home 
to  see  the  Union  preserved,  and  anything  short 
of  that  was  no  reward  for  me. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE  END  OF  THE  CAMPAIGNS  OF  '63 

A    the  expiration  of  one  week  we  had 
turned  in  all  the  government  property 
and  were  on  our  way  home.     Thus 
ended  the  noted  campaigns  of  1863. 
The  movements  of  the  Second  Ohio  had  been 
full  of  toil,  hardships,  and  perils.    We  had  as- 
saulted the  enemy  and  had  been  assaulted  in  so 
many  different  places  and  in  so  many  different 
ways  that  memory  can  now  scarcely  compre- 
hend, much  less  retain  it. 

We  boarded  a  train  at  Knoxville  and  went 
to  the  Tennessee  River.  The  bridge  had  been 
destroyed  and  the  railroad  was  out  of  repair 
to  Chattanooga.  We  camped  by  the  river 
near  Sheridan's  division,  then  stationed  there 
to  protect  the  workmen,  while  they  repaired 
the  bridge. 

Our  officers  called  on  General  Sheridan, 
and  he  told  them  that  he  had  watched  the 
campaign  in  East  Tennessee  with  great  satis- 
faction. It  had  confirmed  him  in  his  opinion 
as  to  what  cavalry  could  do  as  an  independent 
command,  but  in  advancing  his  theory  he  had 
met  with  much  opposition  from  his  brother 
officers,  who  had  gone  so  far  as  to  call  him  a 
fanatic  on  the  subject. 

213 


214       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  next  morning  we  began  to  cross  the 
river.  There  was  but  one  small  boat,  and  we 
went  into  camp  on  the  opposite  side  to  stay 
all  night.  When  crossing,  the  wind  took  what 
was  left  of  my  hat,  the  top  and  part  of  the 
brim  having  disappeared  previously,  and  I 
had  to  continue  the  march  bareheaded.  Some 
of  the  boys,  thinking  it  easier  to  ride  than  to 
walk,  fixed  up  a  raft  to  float  down  the  river. 
We  were  compelled  to  lie  at  Chattanooga  two 
or  three  days  for  them,  owing  to  fog  and  other 
obstacles. 

I  met  an  old  neighbor,  Peter  Venable,  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Ohio,  who  had 
two  hats,  and  he  divided.  We  finally  boarded 
cars,  and  moved  out,  and  in  crossing  the 
canyon  near  the  foot  of  Lookout  Mountain 
the  temporary  bridge,  commonly  called  the 
military  trestle  work,  gave  way,  and  settled 
about  four  inches  on  one  side.  The  drive- 
wheels  of  the  engine,  with  the  exception  of 
one,  had  passed  on  to  the  rail  that  rested  on 
the  ground.  That  one  came  up  against  the 
end  and  stopped.  The  train  was  jerked  back 
and  forth  a  few  times,  and  when  we  found  out 
the  trouble,  there  was  a  panic  in  those  box- 
cars. Talk  about  a  battle,  it  is  no  comparison ! 
We  looked  out  of  the  side  doors  of  the  cars 
to  see  the  bottom  where  we  expected  to  be 
dashed  at  any  second,  and  it  was  no  less  than 
two  hundred  feet  below.  I  seized  my  blanket 
with  the  intention  of  fastening  one  end  to  the 
slide  bar  of  the  door,  and  by  swinging  down 


The  End  of  the  Campaigns  of  '63     215 

to  the  trestle  try  to  make  my  escape  that  way. 
But  before  I  could  accomplish  my  design  the 
train  pulled  out  with  a  terrible  jerk,  as 
each  set  of  trucks  came  to  the  break  in  the 
track. 

After  a  short  stay  in  Bridgeport,  Nashville, 
and  Louisville,  we  finally  arrived  at  Camp 
Chase,  near  Columbus,  Ohio.  After  being 
paid,  we  were  furloughed,  with  orders  to 
rendezvous  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  March  22, 
where  we  remained  until  March  24.  Then 
we  went  to  Cincinnati,  and  the  ladies  of  the 
city  furnished  us  with  meals  in  the  market- 
house.  As  there  were  plenty  of  open  houses, 
and  we  had  blankets  with  us,  we  found  little 
trouble  in  finding  a  place  to  lie  down. 

We  had  now  many  new  men  who  had  joined 
us  to  take  the  place  of  those  lost  during  the 
year  of  1863. 

Grant  had  taken  command  of  the  army,  and 
was  concentrating  his  forces  to  make  a  vig- 
orous campaign  in  the  East.  He  had  ordered 
General  Burnside  to  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
with  his  Ninth  Corps,  to  fit  out  a  secret  ex- 
pedition. The  General  had  become  very 
much  attached  to  the  Second  Ohio.  He  had 
requested  and  received  orders  from  the  Sec- 
retary of  War  for  us  to  remain  in  his  corps. 
The  boys  hailed  the  news  with  enthusiasm. 

We  had  served  in  many  different  armies. 
That  we  were  now  to  enter  a  new  field  met  the 
wishes  of  all,  and  we  were  particularly  glad 
that  we  were  to  go  East,  where  the  daily  pa- 


216       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

pers  continued  to  say,  "  It  is  all  quiet  on  the 
Potomac." 

We  disembarked  from  the  train  at  Camp 
Parole  near  Annapolis,  Maryland.  There 
we  met  the  boys  we  had  lost  at  Greenville, 
Tennessee,  having  recently  been  exchanged, 
and 'found  them  in  a  pitiable  condition.  We 
marched  to  camp,  and  were  well  pleased  with 
our  situation  by  the  Ninth  Corps,  to  which 
we  had  become  attached  during  the  former 
campaign,  although  our  hopes  were  some- 
what blighted  on  our  arrival  at  Annapolis; 
for  we  learned  that  there  was  no  certainty 
as  to  the  destination  of  Burnside's  expedition, 
and  that  we  were  the  only  cavalry  regiment  to 
accompany  it. 

We  had  prepared  ourselves  with  cooking 
utensils,  large  enough  for  four  men,  at  our 
own  expense,  and  divided  accordingly.  Col- 
onel Kautz  had  made  an  effort  to  have  this 
mess-kit  furnished,  but  the  Government  had 
no  such  proviso,  and  it  would  require  an  order 
from  the  War  Department,  and  would  there- 
fore apply  to  the  cavalry  forces  throughout 
the  army.  It  met  with  strong  opposition  and 
had  to  be  abandoned.  The  Second  had  found 
it  too  convenient  to  abolish  it,  and  so  we  drew 
a  few  large  kettles  for  boilers  in  which  to  heat 
water,  etc.,  which  kettles  were  turned  in  when 
we  moved  camp. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

IN  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC 

ON   our  way  to  Annapolis  there  was 
another    of    those    miraculous    acci- 
dents.    While  traveling  over  the  B. 
&  O.  road  in  box-cars,  it  was  discov- 
ered that  Logan  Moore,  who  had  been  sleep- 
ing in  front  of  the  car  door,  was  missing.  Dur- 
ing the  day  a  dispatch  was  received  that  he 
had    been    picked    up    unconscious    under    a 
bridge  by  the  section  hands.     He  had  rolled 
against  the  door,  which  was  not  fastened  at 
the    bottom,    and    had    fallen    through    the 
bridge,  a  distance  of  twenty  feet. 

It  was  while  in  this  camp  that  I  had  my 
second  disagreement  in  the  company.  It  was 
all  about  nothing,  and  I  would  not  mention  it, 
only  that  the  next  and  last  one  proved  of  a 
serious  nature.  I  want  to  illustrate  how  a 
simple  matter  may  involve  one  who  has  not 
the  slightest  thought  or  intention  of  doing 
another  an  injury.  I  was  engaged  in  a  game 
of  hop  scotch  in  front  of  the  tent,  and  Good- 
man, who  had  procured  some  tangle-foot, 
came  by  and  pushed  me  over.  When  I  re- 
proved him  he  was  in  for  combat.  Although 
there  was  no  blow  struck,  it  resulted  in  his 
arrest  and  confinement  for  several  days. 

217 


218        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

We  remained  in  that  camp  until  April  21, 
1864,  and  marched  to  Camp  Parole,  and  on 
the  aad  embarked  on  a  train  for  Washington, 
D.  C.  Here  we  were  quartered  in  barracks 
for  the  night.  That  was  our  first  view  of  the 
Capital,  and  we  strolled  about  the  city  at 
will. 

We  met  many  of  our  old  schoolmates  and 
relations  of  the  Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry.  On  the 
23d  we  moved  to  Camp  Stoneman,  located  on 
the  Potomac  River,  nearly  opposite  Alexan- 
dria. The  ground  was  covered  with  large 
trees,  but  otherwise  was  as  bare  as  a  floor.  It 
had  been  used  for  a  camp  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  ground  was  worn  low  in  places,  which 
held  the  water  from  the  rain  then  falling.  A 
more  desolate  place  could  not  have  been  found 
on  the  Staked  Plains.  When  we  set  our  dog- 
tents,  we  felt  very  solitary,  although  we  were 
surrounded  by  hundreds  of  men  and  in  sight 
of  two  large  cities. 

There  is  something  peculiarly  sad  about 
being  placed  on  a  bare  spot  of  ground  without 
a  blade  of  grass  to  be  seen.  It  is  an  unnatural 
condition,  and  there  is  nothing  to  occupy  one's 
time  and  to  make  one's  self  comfortable. 
This  condition  did  not  last  long.  The  horses 
began  to  arrive  by  company  installments,  and 
on  the  26th  our  company  drew  theirs. 

They  were  tied  in  line,  and  the  men  fell  in 
single  file  and  marched  in  front  of  them. 
Each  man  had  to  accept  the  horse  directly  op- 
posite him.  It  was  my  lot  to  get  a  farm  horse, 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        219 

pretty  fair  for  everything,  and  not  much 
good  for  anything  in  particular. 

On  the  29th  the  horse  equipments  were  dis- 
tributed, and  I  mounted  my  new  horse  and 
rode  to  Washington  City.  On  the  3Oth  we 
drew  arms,  and  got  a  different  and  better  car- 
bine than  we  had  at  any  previous  time.  It 
was  the  Spencer  breech-loading,  with  maga- 
zine that  held  seven  fifty-calibre  ready- 
primed  metallic  cartridges. 

On  Sunday,  May  i,  we  took  up  the  line  of 
march  through  the  City  of  Washington, 
marched  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  and  thence 
to  the  Long  Bridge,  and  over  it  into  Virginia, 
to  join  in  the  memorable  campaign  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  already  on  the  move 
toward  Richmond. 

The  secret  expedition  had  been  abandoned, 
or  had  only  been  a  ruse  to  cover  the  actual 
object  for  moving  the  Ninth  Corps  to  the 
East.  We  joined  and  acted  rear-guard  for 
them.  That  night  we  camped  at  Bailey's 
Cross-Roads. 

The  next  day  we  moved  to  within  seven 
miles  of  Warrenton  Junction,  and  the  next  we 
moved  to  the  Junction,  and  camped  near 
General  Burnside's  headquarters.  We  were 
joined  by  three  other  cavalry  regiments,  which 
formed  a  brigade. 

A  brief  description  of  these  regiments  will 
not  be  out  of  place,  as  my  story  is  more  or  less 
connected  with  them  for  several  months.  The 
Fifth  New  York  Cavalry  had  seen  much  serv- 


22O       Pour  Years  with  Five  Armies 

vice,  but,  like  all  the  cavalry  in  the  East, 
could  boast  of  no  decided  victories.  The 
Twenty-Second  New  York  Cavalry  was  a  new 
regiment,  and  had  not  yet  been  under  fire. 
The  Third  New  Jersey  was  an  old  regi- 
ment but  had  not  seen  active  service. 
They  had  been  on  duty  in  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington, and  were  known  as  the  Hussars.  They 
were  all  Germans,  and  uniformed  in  blue 
cloth,  cut  after  the  German  cavalry  uniform. 

When  Grant  moved  he  had  no  need  for 
ornaments  of  this  kind,  and  ordered  them  to 
the  front.  As  Jersey  was  short  in  its  quota  of 
men,  they  were  credited  to  that  State,  and 
were  known  as  the  Third  New  Jersey  Cav- 
alry. 

The  army  had  all  crossed  the  Rappahan- 
nock,  except  the  Ninth  Corps.  The  infantry 
and  artillery  made  a  night  march,  and  in  the 
morning  our  brigade,  the  rear-guard,  crossed. 
We  were  now  thoroughly  started,  and  in  the 
enemy's  country. 

The  effect  of  the  almost  constant  roar  of 
cannon  and  musketry  in  front,  that  had  been 
going  on  three  days,  was  now  in  evidence  on 
all  sides,  and  the  old  soldiers  of  the  Second 
Ohio  Cavalry  speculated  on  and  discussed  our 
peculiar  situation.  We  were  no  longer  in 
company  with  the  "  Old  Reliable  Brigade," 
but  with  two  regiments  that  had  not  been 
under  fire  and  had  done  no  picket  duty.  Al- 
though the  Fifth  New  York  had  met  the 
enemy  many  times,  so  far  as  we  could  learn 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        221 

they  did  not  know  what  a  complete  victory 
was.  But  the  Fifth  had  the  right  stuff  in 
them,  as  they  afterward  proved  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  that  knew  them. 

We  were  confronted  by  the  enemy's  cavalry 
guarding  Lee's  left  flank.  They  were  contin- 
ually reconnoitering  for  information,  trying 
to  keep  track  of  Grant's  movements,  and  look- 
ing for  any  gap  that  would  afford  them  any 
advantage. 

We  felt  almost  like  strangers  in  a  strange 
land.  Everything  was  so  different  from  what 
we  had  been  used  to.  There  were  many  young 
staff  officers  that  appeared  to  want  to  do  some- 
thing, but  they  did  not  appear  to  know  what 
to  do  but  to  make  some  fuss.  They  would  gal- 
lop about  with  an  orderly  behind  them,  giv- 
ing orders  about  anything  and  everything,  and 
creating  confusion  among  the  raw  troops. 
They  rode  a  little  flat  saddle  we  called  the 
terrapin  shell. 

We  were  busy  holding  our  part  of  the  line 
with  a  heavy  skirmish  line,  and  carrying  in 
the  wounded  who  had  been  left  by  the  troops 
in  advance  of  us.  They  consisted  of  men  from 
both  sides,  and  we  assisted  the  hospital  corps 
all  we  could. 

As  Grant  moved  right  along,  leaving  the 
rear  open  for  the  enemy,  many  of  the  wounded 
were  left  to  be  taken  in  by  Lee's  army,  which 
took  advantage  of  the  gap  between  the  Ninth 
Corps  and  the  Rappahannock.  This  was  of 
no  particular  advantage  to  them,  but  threw 


222       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  burden  on  the  rear-guard  to  hold  them  in 
check  for  the  time  being. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th,  before  daylight, 
there  were  orders  to  move  on  rapidly,  and  a 
regular  stampede  was  created  by  the  rush 
orders. 

An  effort  was  made  to  move  the  cavalry 
through  the  forest,  as  flankers  for  the  infan- 
try, which  must  necessarily  prove  a  failure. 
Officers  were  charging  back  and  forth,  shout- 
ing, "  Hurry  up ;  there  is  nothing  in  front  of 
you;  you  will  be  cut  off;  the  line  is  broken! " 
and  all  such  nonsense,  which  caused  the  poor 
soldiers  to  abandon  everything  they  had,  and 
run  for  life. 

They  would  duck  their  heads,  throw  up 
their  shoulders,  and  away  would  go  their 
knapsacks,  blankets,  and,  in  fact,  everything 
they  had  except  gun  and  ammunition.  The 
ground  was  literally  covered  with  everything 
which  could  be  used  in  camp  by  soldiers.  The 
hospital  corps  had  hatchets,  and  they  cut  holes 
in  these  things  so  as  to  render  them  useless  to 
the  enemy.  Thousands  had  abandoned  their 
fine  toilets  they  had  enjoyed  in  camp  during 
the  winter  months.  The  jam  was  complete. 

The  cavalry  had  to  stop  and  look  on,  as 
there  was  no  way  to  pass  without  riding  over 
the  sick  or  wounded,  of  whom  there  were 
many  hundreds  to  be  left  to  the  mercy  of  the 
enemy.  When  the  officers  came  about  the  Sec- 
ond Ohio  Cavalry,  cursing  with  their  "  whoop- 
em-up  "  orders,  they  were  received  with  re- 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        223 

marks  and  looks  of  contempt.  They  soon 
became  scarce  in  that  locality,  and  we  could 
now  see  why  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  had  fallen  into  bad  repute.  They 
had  no  chance  to  show  what  they  could  do. 
They  had  been  trammeled  with  incompetent 
officers,  or,  in  other  words,  by  infantry  officers 
trying  to  handle  the  two  distinct  arms  of  the 
service  together,  to  the  disadvantage  of  all. 
The  consequence  was  we  were  hooted  and 
jeered  at,  and  called  all  kinds  of  names  at 
every  turn.  The  worst  feature  that  we  had  to 
contend  with  was  a  provost  guard  from 
Meade's  headquarters,  that  kept  in  the  rear 
of  everything  but  the  skirmish  line.  With 
drawn  sabers  they  would  drive  the  helpless 
sick  and  wounded  in  front  of  them,  often 
striking  them  with  their  weapons,  but  the 
Second  Ohio  put  a  stop  to  that  work  in  short 
order. 

Some  threats  were  made  by  their  officers 
as  to  what  they  would  do  with  us  for  inter- 
fering with  their  orders,  but  it  was  not  a  good 
day  for  enforcing  discipline,  and  they  had  to 
yield,  and  soon  left  us  in  complete  control  of 
that  duty. 

On  the  yth  we  came  out  on  an  open  place, 
perhaps  one  mile  square.  The  road  ran 
across  the  center  of  it.  The  Fifth  New  York 
and  the  Second  Ohio  formed  in  line,  and  re- 
mained there  for  an  hour,  after  all  the  other 
troops  were  out  of  sight.  There  was  a  heavy 
row  of  fallen  trees  along  the  west  edge  of  the 


224       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

open  field,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  rods 
at  one  corner,  where  the  enemy's  artillery  was 
stationed,  and  trained  on  the  open  ground. 

The  enemy's  line  lay  behind  the  row  of 
fallen  trees,  and  remained  quiet,  with  the 
usual  taking  of  observations,  and  appeared 
surprised  at  the  sudden  disappearance  of 
troops  from  in  front  of  them. 

When  the  order  came  for  us  to  move  on  we 
entered  the  woods,  following  the  road  south- 
ward, and  saw  the  infantry  of  the  Ninth 
Corps  massed,  lying  down  in  the  heavy  timber 
to  our  left,  with  their  right  flank  exposed,  and 
not  even  a  light  skirmish  line  to  protect  them. 

We  did  not  understand  the  move,  and  were 
as  much  mystified  as  the  enemy  appeared  to 
be,  but  when  we  moved  a  little  farther  on  the 
position  revealed  the  facts  to  us.  We  were 
formed  in  close  ranks,  or,  in  fact,  massed  in  a 
little  open  field,  where  the  Third  New  Jersey 
and  the  Twenty-Second  New  York  had  pre- 
ceded us  in  front  of  General  Meade's  line, 
who  had  used  his  left  for  a  pivot,  and  by  left 
wheel  had  changed  front.  His  line  now  ex- 
tended across  the  road,  instead  of  parallel  with 
it.  The  Ninth  Corps  was  placed  in  front  with 
line  parallel  with  the  road  to  receive  the  at- 
tack of  the  enemy,  and  to  fall  back  to  the  east, 
in  order  to  draw  the  enemy  down  in  front  of 
Meade's  line.  The  cavalry  was  to  move  out 
and  cut  them  off.  The  first  sight  of  this  posi- 
tion showed  an  experienced  soldier  that  this 
was  another  of  those  plans  that  must  prove 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        22$ 

fatal  to  the  cavalry,  and  also  destroy  the 
effective  use  of  the  infantry  in  their  rear. 

It  also  explained  the  cause  of  the  stampede, 
by  changing  front  with  General  Meade's  line, 
which  was  some  three  to  four  miles  long,  and 
left  a  gap  of  that  distance  between  his  line  and 
the  left  flank  of  the  Ninth  Corps.  The  hurry 
orders  sent  out  had  been  delivered  in  such  a 
way  as  to  cause  a  panic,  and  thousands  had 
lost  their  blankets  and  clothing. 

The  wily  enemy  did  not  see  any  advantage 
in  advancing  on  the  abandoned  ground,  and 
after  waiting  for  an  hour  the  Twenty-Second 
New  York  was  ordered  to  move  out  to  the 
open  ground  to  decoy  them.  They  had  barely 
got  into  the  open  place  when  the  front  of  the 
column  began  to  form  into  line.  Then  the 
enemy  opened  fire  with  a  six-gun  battery,  and 
the  Twenty-Second  broke  and  ran  in  con- 
fusion, throwing  together  all  the  strength  and 
energy  that  could  be  gained  by  one  thousand 
men  and  horses. 

The  tumult  was  awful  to  hear.  The  shouts 
and  yells  and  flying  dust  that  rose  above  the 
trees  enabled  the  enemy  to  keep  the  range, 
and  the  shells  came  screeching  and  crashing 
through  the  trees.  Some  of  the  shells  burst 
in  their  ranks,  or  rather  in  the  mass  of  men 
and  horses,  and  this  howling  mass  was  hurled 
on  to  Meade's  line,  which  gave  way  to  let 
them  pass.  It  so  happened  that  General 
Meade's  tents  and  hospital  were  on  the  road, 
and  they  were  torn  down  by  the  fleeing 


226       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

cavalry.  About  three  acres  of  ground  about 
Meade's  headquarters  were  covered  with 
wounded,  and  these  wounded  were  run  over — 
the  most  horrible  feature  of  the  stampede. 

The  Ninth  Corps  then  moved,  and  went 
into  camp  in  the  rear  of  Meade's  line.  As 
soon  as  the  road  was  clear,  Meade's  corps 
began  a  forward  movement.  Troops  passed 
until  4  P.  Mv  when  the  Ninth  Corps  began 
to  move  out.  It  was  late  in  the  night  when 
our  brigade  moved.  From  then  until  day- 
light we  were  passing  troops — brigades,  divi- 
sions, and  corps — standing  in  line  in  every 
open  strip  of  ground,  waiting  for  a  clear  road 
in  order  to  move  on.  It  looked  to  us  as  if 
they  were  afraid  to  sit  down  and  take  a  little 
rest  while  they  had  the  opportunity. 

They  were  all  General  McClellan's  old 
army,  and  they  now  firmly  believed  they  were 
whipped  and  on  the  retreat.  Little  Mac  was 
the  watchword,  and  thousands  of  times  we 
heard  the  shout,  and,  indeed,  we  needed  Little 
Mac  to  pull  us  out  of  this  scrape! 

"  You  Western  men  don't  know  how  to  re- 
treat." 

To  this  we  would  retort,  "  You  are  right; 
stay  with  Grant  and  he  will  take  you  to 
Richmond." 

The  Second  Ohio  were  the  only  men  to 
raise  their  voice  for  Grant,  and  then  they 
would  ask  what  regiment,  and  to  answer  was 
to  bring  a  shower  of  maledictions  on  Grant 
and  Western  men  in  general,  with  shouts 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        227 

from  all  quarters,  "  Five  dollars  for  a  dead 
cavalryman! " 

We  told  them  we  would  show  them  yet  that 
there  was  one  cavalry  regiment  that  knew  as 
much  about  fighting  as  they  did,  and  if  they 
had  the  nerve  to  stick  to  Grant  he  would 
prove  to  them  he  had  not  studied  the  art  of 
retreat.  This  war  of  words  was  kept  up  all 
night.  By  daylight  we  had  passed  every- 
thing that  was  able  to  move,  but  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  the  dead  and  wounded  that  had 
been  left  by  the  corps  in  front  that  had  moved 
and  left  the  field  to  its  fate.  There  had  been 
charges  and  countercharges,  as  the  uniforms 
of  the  dead  indicated,  blue  and  gray  being  in- 
terspersed. 

We  carried  the  wounded  to  the  main  road, 
where  we  halted.  In  one  place  was  an  old 
log-house,  with  a  cleared  field  near  it,  that 
was  covered  with  victims  of  the  fierce  strug- 
gle that  had  been  going  on  there  for  the  two 
previous  days. 

In  carrying  the  wounded  we  took  them  as 
we  came  to  them,  and  carried  them  to  the 
house  that  they  might  be  protected  from  the 
sun.  When  they  carried  one  Johnnie  in  he 
recognized  his  brother  who  had  been  brought 
in  before  him.  They  had  fallen  within  a  few 
yards  of  each  other,  but  neither  one  knew  that 
the  other  had  been  wounded. 

The  ambulance  corps  was  busy  conveying 
away  the  wounded,  but  was  altogether  inade- 
quate for  the  occasion.  Meade's  corps  flanked 


228        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

this  part  of  the  road  altogether,  and  in  an  en- 
gagement to  our  left  the  woods  took  fire,  and 
the  fire  was  consuming  everything  before  it. 
The  hot  black  smoke  drove  us  out,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  save  the  hundreds  that  were 
doomed  to  perish  in  its  ravages.  But  the  bul- 
let and  fire  were  not  the  only  messengers  that 
called  for  men.  I  saw  one  man  lying  on  his 
back,  waving  a  piece  of  paper,  and  when  I 
approached  him  he  could  not  speak,  but  he 
smiled  when  he  handed  the  paper  to  show  that 
he  had  leave  from  his  surgeon  to  be  absent  on 
account  of  sickness. 

At  another  place  a  boy  not  more  than  seven- 
teen had  sat  down  on  the  log  step  of  an  empty 
cabin.  He  leaned  back  with  his  knapsack 
resting  on  the  floor  of  the  porch  with  his 
shoulders  on  it,  and  his  hands  folded  across 
his  breast  with  a  peaceful  look  on  his  face,  as 
if  asleep,  but  he  was  cold  and  stiff.  There  was 
nothing  to  indicate  the  cause  of  death. 

We  camped  on  the  field  of  Chancellorsville, 
and  during  the  afternoon  a  soldier  in  some  of 
the  infantry  camps  cut  his  throat  with  a  razor. 

We  lay  on  our  arms  that  night  on  the 
ground  where  the  first  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville had  been  fought.  The  ground  was  cov- 
ered with  the  bones  of  those  that  had  fallen 
the  year  before,  and  the  corpses  of  those  that 
had  just  fallen.  We  threw  out  a  skirmish 
line  in  the  woods  where  Stonewall  Jackson's 
brigade  had  massed,  a  spot  designated  by  hun- 
dreds of  graves  marked  "  Stonewall's  Bri- 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        229 

gade  "  on  a  rough  board  at  the  head  of  each 
grave. 

It  was  in  a  pine  wood,  and  most  all  the 
trees  were  shattered  or  trimmed  by  shot,  shell, 
and  minies.  The  trunks  of  some  of  the  large 
ones  had  been  pierced,  and  the  tops  hung 
down.  In  passing  through  these  woods  to 
and  from  the  vidette  line  in  the  dark  and  on 
rainy  nights,  horses  would  plunge  into  the 
half-filled  graves,  then  full  of  a  yellow  look- 
ing water  that  would  splash  all  over  the  rider. 
There  were  ten  or  twelve  in  every  detail, 
some  of  whom  staggered  about  from  the  time 
we  entered  the  woods  until  we  got  out  of  it. 
The  trooper  would  frequently  be  pulled  from 
the  saddle,  or  would  lose  his  cap,  blankets,  or 
something  else,  by  running  under  the  hang- 
ing limbs. 

The  cavalry  was  camped  in  front  of  the  in- 
fantry, another  one  of  those  awkward  posi- 
tions, and  the  Second  Ohio  had  the  weight  of 
this  responsibility.  It  was  expected  that  the 
enemy  would  attempt  to  regain  that  strategic 
point,  and  in  that  case  we  also  expected  the 
cavalry  would  repeat  the  ridiculous  perform- 
ance of  two  days  before,  for  they  could  not 
remain  between  two  lines  of  opposing  in- 
fantry. It  could  be  heard  from  all  quarters 
that  we  must  hold  this  ground  or  break 
through  the  enemy's  line,  and  not  have  it  said 
we  had  run  through  our  own  infantry. 

On  the  1 3th  the  Ninth  Corps  moved  out  to 
Todd's  Tavern  and  swung  into  the  main  line 


230       Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

on  the  right  center,  with  Eraser's  division  of 
colored  troops  on  the  right  flank  of  the  Ninth 
Corps.  We  were  placed  in  front  of  them, 
forming  the  front  line  of  battle,  and  in  close 
proximity  to  the  enemy,  so  near  that  we  could 
hear  the  challenge  as  they  relieved  their 
guards  every  two  hours.  We  were  under  the 
immediate  command  of  General  Fraser,  and 
he  required  us  to  report  to  him  every  two 
hours.  This  duty  fell  upon  me.  The  colored 
division  was  camped  in  heavy  timber,  and,  of 
course,  it  was  very  dark.  No  fires  were  al- 
lowed, and  the  guards  were  posted  around  the 
camp.  When  riding  in  to  report,  the  guard 
would  call  "  Halt!"  and  fire  before  I  could 
answer  him,  and  the  whole  line  would  repeat 
it.  I  reported  to  the  General,  and  explained 
the  situation  to  him.  He  said  they  were  all 
raw  troops,  and  it  was  hard  for  them  to  under- 
stand how  to  halt  anyone  without  firing,  and 
he  would  instruct  the  officer  of  the  day,  and 
see  if  it  could  not  be  done  better.  The  Gen- 
eral was  always  up  and  dressed  and  ready  for 
action,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  he  stayed 
up  all  the  time,  or  arose  when  the  guard  fired 
the  alarm.  I  told  him  I  would  just  as  soon 
report  to  the  rebel  general,  and  that  I  did  not 
think  I  would  be  in  any  more  danger.  I 
thought  it  was  all  nonsense  to  report  to  him, 
for  there  was  no  chance  to  be  surprised.  He 
would  not  hear  of  an  abandonment  of  the 
plan,  and  I  had  to  continue  until  morning. 
The  boys  would  ask  me  when  I  returned  if  I 


In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac        231 

had  repulsed  the  colored  troops  yet.  When 
I  would  start  out  they  would  say,  "  Cause  is 
going  to  charge  the  colored  troops  again." 

Fortunately,  the  Ninth  Corps  changed  po- 
sition the  next  morning,  and  left  a  space  of 
some  miles  between  the  cavalry  and  infantry. 
The  enemy  made  an  assault  all  along  the  line 
during  the  day.  The  cavalry  on  either  flank 
fell  back  so  far  in  trying  to  get  favorable 
ground  that  our  regiment  was  completely  cut 
off  for  a  short  time,  but  with  our  Spencer  car- 
bines we  were  able  to  hold  our  ground  with 
but  little  loss  until  reinforcements  came  to 
our  rescue. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

SERVICE  IN  VIRGINIA 

THE  enemy  being  compelled  to  retire 
toward    Richmond,    owing    to    the 
movements  on  some  other  part  of  the 
line,  we  made  a  change  in  our  posi- 
tion.    After  the  engagement  I  was  detailed, 
with  others,  to  bring  forage  to  the  front,  and 
we  each  brought  a  sack  of  oats  a  distance  of 
seven  miles.     It  was  now  sundown.     When 
eating     supper     Lieutenant     Newton     said, 
"  Cause,  you  go  with  those  men.     You  need 
not  take  anything  but  your  gun  and  ammu- 
nition, and  take  one  of  the  men  with  you  to 
bring  the  horse  back,  as  you  will  not  need 
it,   and  I  will  send  it  to  you  in   the  morn- 
ing." 

Wakefield  volunteered.  After  finishing 
supper  we  mounted,  and  reported  to  the  men 
in  question,  two  strangers  to  us,  one  being  an 
officer  and  the  other  dressed  in  citizen's 
clothes.  After  galloping  for  two  miles  or 
more,  they  came  to  a  halt,  and  told  Wakefield 
to  return  to  camp  with  the  horses.  After  dis- 
mounting we  handed  the  reins  to  Wakefield, 
who  turned  and  galloped  away. 

The  man  in  citizen's  dress — apparently  a 
232 


Service  in  Virginia  233 

secret  service  employee — said,  "  You  have 
been  selected  to  watch  this  path.  Spies  are 
constantly  coming  into  our  lines  and  this  is 
one  of  the  paths  used  by  them.  We  will  de- 
pend on  you  to  do  your  duty,  as  you  are  well 
recommended.  And  in  case  the  line  is  driven 
in  you  must  depend  on  yourself  to  make  your 
escape.  This  end  of  the  path  will  lead  to  a 
safe  place,  but  it  will  be  necessary  to  ap- 
proach the  vidette  line  very  cautiously.  It  is 
dangerous,  as  they  are  liable  to  think  you  one 
of  the  enemy.  I  warn  you  in  time — you  are 
liable  to  have  a  hand-to-hand  conflict,  for  the 
men  that  travel  this  path  are  not  the  kind  that 
surrender,  and  it  would  be  well  to  go  far 
enough  from  the  road  that  anyone  passing 
will  not  disturb  you." 

After  bidding  me  good-night  they  galloped 
away,  and  as  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs 
died  away,  I  began  to  look  around. 

"  Well,"  I  thought,  "  we  passed  this  place 
to-day.  It  did  not  look  dangerous,  dreary,  and 
lonely  as  it  does  now.  A  fellow  that  can't 
hide  in  this  thicket,  so  that  a  rebel  spy  can- 
not find  him,  is  no  good."  However,  there 
was  no  good  reason  to  evade  my  duty.  I  was 
there  first,  and,  with  the  squatter's  right  and 
a  good  gun  to  back  it,  a  newcomer  would  not 
be  apt  successfully  to  contest  my  claim  to 
possession. 

A  dense  thicket  was  on  the  lower  side  of  the 
road,  that  wound  around  a  low  ridge,  and  as- 
cended to  the  top  of  the  slope  at  the  place 


234       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

where  I  then  stood.  The  path  in  question 
was  an  ordinary  hog-path  that  had  grown  over 
with  briers  and  vines,  and  could  only  be  trav- 
eled at  that  place  by  crawling  on  hands  and 
knees,  no  doubt  as  many  spies  had  done.  I 
proceeded  to  do  the  same,  and  after  going 
about  one  hundred  yards,  and  choosing  a  po- 
sition about  five  feet  from  the  path,  I  lay  down 
flat  on  the  ground  with  gun  at  hand.  There 
was  nothing  to  do  but  indulge  in  thought,  and 
what  passed  through  my  mind  would  be  hard 
to  recall  now.  I  only  know  that  I  was  look- 
ing for  a  red-eyed,  bow-necked  spy  to  appear 
at  any  moment,  and  pounce  right  down  on 
me.  Rabbits  and  vermin  of  different  kinds 
were  playing  hide  and  seek  about  me,  but 
they  were  easy  to  distinguish  from  the  mon- 
ster pictured  in  my  mind.  The  gun  lay  at 
rest  with  the  hammer  set,  so  that  it  would 
make  no  noise  to  alarm  the  approaching  spy, 
and  on  the  slightest  notice,  could  be  used. 
Now  and  then  I  would  go  through  the  mo- 
tion of  using  it,  to  keep  in  practice.  It  ap- 
peared easy  enough,  and  the  long  night  wore 
slowly  until  about  two  o'clock,  then,  sud- 
denly, it  appeared  as  if  the  fullest  expectations 
were  to  be  realized.  There  was  something 
approaching  from  the  front.  It  was  evidently 
moving  toward  me,  and  my  eyes  had  become 
so  thoroughly  used  to  the  darkness  that  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  the  outline  was  the  proper 
size  of  a  man  on  all  fours.  I  was  looking  for 
spies,  and  of  course  I  could  see  nothing  but 


Service  in  Virginia  235 

spies.  A  man  was  surely  crawling  on  his 
hands  and  knees  stealthily  toward  me.  Hav- 
ing chosen  a  position  so  close  to  the  path  that 
he  could  not  pass  me,  an  encounter  must  there- 
fore take  place,  and  the  night  appeared  to 
have  turned  suddenly  cold.  In  fact,  it  was 
cold  to  the  freezing  point,  and  I  could  feel 
the  blood  freeze  in  my  veins  when  I  attempted 
to  pick  up  the  gun. 

It  was  now  close  to  me,  the  creeping  thing, 
coming  very  slowly  but  surely.  I  could  al- 
most reach  it  with  the  gun,  and  it  looked  as 
big  as  a  house.  A  reaction  was  necessary,  for 
with  a  moment  more  of  this  suspense  I  would 
not  be  able  to  move  at  all.  Besides,  I  must 
know  the  result  of  my  first  shot  in  time  to 
have  equal  chance  in  the  struggle  that  must 
surely  take  place  if  the  shot  did  not  prove 
fatal.  I  was  able  to  cast  off  the  spell. 
Slowly  I  raised  the  gun,  only  raising  my 
hands,  letting  my  elbows  rest  on  the  ground. 
I  was  just  placing  my  finger  on  the  trigger 
when  the  object  in  question  gave  a  low  grunt 
that  revealed  its  identity,  and  turned  around 
and  ran  away.  It  no  doubt  retreated  to  the 
deep  hidden  forest  which  had  so  long  pro- 
tected it  from  slaughter  by  the  hungry  soldier. 
My  relief  was  inexpressible,  and  lying  there 
in  quiet  and  ease  I  enjoyed  the  satisfaction 
of  feeling  that  I  had  at  least  stood  the  test, 
and,  had  it  been  really  a  spy,  the  victory 
must  have  resulted  in  my  favor. 

In  my  soliloquy  I  argued  the  circumstances 


236       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

and  position  from  all  sides.  I  had  heard  and 
read  of  the  adventures  of  men  who  had  dis- 
guised themselves  with  bear  and  wolf  skins, 
and  I  admitted,  for  the  sake  of  argument, 
that  it  was  possible  to  do  the  same  with  a  hog 
skin,  but  it  was  not  likely  that  a  spy  in  such 
disguise  would  have  discovered  me  and  dis- 
appeared in  so  short  a  time. 

I  was  satisfied  that  all  danger  was  now  at 
an  end  from  the  fact  that,  if  it  were  a  spy, 
he  would  not  return  again,  and,  if  it  were 
what  it  appeared  to  be,  a  hog,  any  spy  coming 
there  would  meet  it  and  turn  it  back,  and 
that  would  warn  me  in  time.  In  that  peace- 
ful mood  my  mind  turned  to  a  different  chan- 
nel. After  thinking  over  the  daring  ad- 
ventures of  Daniel  Boone,  and  many  other 
adventures,  and  all  the  novel  and  ghost  stories, 
I  passed  to  my  own  ghost  experience.  The 
first  one  was  in  my  schoolboy  days,  while  on 
my  way  from  some  night  gathering  at  the 
schoolhouse.  It  so  happened  that  there  was 
no  one  going  that  way.  The  distance  was  two 
miles,  and  it  was  a  very  dark  night.  The 
road  was  familiar  to  me,  as  I  had  passed  it 
twice  each  day  for  several  months  in  succes- 
sion, and  had  not  seen  anything  that  looked 
frightful  or  out  of  place.  When  I  stepped 
on  a  bridge  that  was  located  at  the  junction  of 
two  roads  a  horrible  object  appeared  a  few 
yards  from  the  bridge,  and  near  the  place 
where  the  path  left  the  road.  I  advanced 
cautiously,  as  there  was  no  other  place  to  cross 


Service  In  Virginia  237 

the  creek,  and  the  nearer  I  approached  it  the 
more  horrible  it  became.  It  looked  as  though 
it  was  a  giant  with  outstretched  arms,  stand- 
ing ready  to  crush  me.  When  I  got  to  the 
end  of  the  bridge,  with  a  desperate  lunge  I 
took  the  right-hand  road,  until  I  was  some 
distance  from  the  monster,  and  then  I  cir- 
cled around  through  the  woods  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, until  I  reached  the  path,  was  out  of 
breath  and  compelled  to  walk. 

The  next  time  I  came  that  way  in  daylight, 
and  to  my  surprise  there  was  nothing  but  brush 
and  fence,  but  when  it  was  shrouded  in  dark- 
ness it  presented  the  horrible  appearance,  as 
I  observed  the  next  time  we  passed  the  place 
at  night. 

I  thought  on  and  on,  recounting  one  after 
another  the  apparitions  down  to  within  a 
few  nights  before,  and  not  very  far  from 
the  place  where  we  were  now  on  duty. 

I  was  on  the  vidette  line  in  the  edge  of 
heavy  timber  skirting  an  old  field,  now 
grown  up  with  smajl  pines,  and  a  creek  with 
heavy  brush  ran  a  few  yards  in  front  of  us, 
and  behind  it  was  the  enemy's  line.  We  could 
hear  them  change  guards  every  two  hours.  A 
light  breeze  was  blowing,  and  all  at  once  I 
discovered  what  looked  like  a  man  with  a 
musket  at  right-shoulder  shift.  I  raised 
my  gun  to  be  ready,  for  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  that  the  alarm  should  be  given  as 
soon  as  the  enemy  made  his  appearance. 
They  were  liable  to  advance  at  any  moment, 


238        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

as  the  constant  roar  of  cannon  and  musketry  to 
our  left  indicated.  The  second  look  con- 
firmed my  first  convictions.  The  man  ap- 
peared to  be  standing  still,  and  I  thought  he 
was  waiting  orders  to  advance,  or  was  waiting 
a  chance  to  catch  me  off  my  guard  and  slip 
past  me.  The  more  I  looked  at  it,  the  more 
convinced  I  became  that  I  was  right.  I  had 
not  been  on  post  long  when  this  apparition  ap- 
peared, and  my  suspense  became  unbearable. 
I  gently  let  my  gun  slip  down  by  the  horse, 
until  the  full  weight  hung  on  the  sling,  and 
drawing  my  revolver  I  dashed  the  spurs  into 
the  horse,  which  lunged  forward,  and  then 
drew  rein  by  the  side  of  a  small  pine  with 
my  revolver  in  the  limbs  of  the  tree  instead 
of  in  the  face  of  a  bold  enemy. 

"  Cause,  what  is  the  matter?  "  the  sentinel 
to  my  left  called  out  in  a  low  tone. 

"  This  d horse  thought  he  saw  some- 
thing," I  said,  and  returned  to  my  post.  I 
have  not  seen  a  ghost  from  that  night  to  this. 
After  pursuing  these  thoughts  so  long,  my 
mind  had  become  so  detached  from  my  actual 
mission  that  it  was  wrapped  in  perfect  secur- 
ity, and  I  came  near  going  to  sleep ;  but  for- 
tunately light  was  breaking,  and  on  hearing 
the  sound  of  horses'  feet  as  they  approached, 
I  crawled  out  to  the  road  and  met  Wakefield, 
who  had  come  with  my  horse.  We  rode  into 
camp  and  found  them  preparing  to  move.  It 
had  been  rumored  some  days  before  that  Gen- 
eral Sheridan  had  been  given  command  of 


Service  in  Virginia  239 

the  cavalry,  and  had  now  defeated  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart's  cavalry. 

We  moved  out,  and  the  brigade  all  went 
into  camp  except  our  battalion.  We  were 
ordered  to  picket  the  right  wing  of  Fraser's 
division,  and  on  the  i6th  our  company  stood 
picket,  the  rest  of  the  battalion  being  held 
in  reserve.  On  the  iyth  we  were  relieved 
at  noon,  and  before  dismounting  a  staff  offi- 
cer came  out,  talked  with  Lieutenant  Newton 
a  few  moments,  and  rode  away. 

"  Cause,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  "  you  take 
what  men  you  want,  follow  this  road,  and 
learn  what  is  going  on  in  front  of  the  Ninth 
Corps.  The  enemy  is  doing  something  down 
there,  and  they  cannot  make  it  out  at  head- 
quarters. Return  as  soon  as  possible  and  re- 
port your  observations." 

I  rode  out  and  called  for  volunteers.  Of 
course,  plenty  of  men  wanted  to  go,  but  I 
thought  four  of  us  were  enough.  From  the 
little  knowledge  we  had  of  the  enemy's  posi- 
tion it  was  pretty  sure  we  would  have  a  tight 
run  to  make  it.  The  enemy  was  in  evidence, 
and  had  kept  up  a  desultory  firing  all  the  time. 
The  picket  line  ran  diagonally  across  the  road 
that  entered  the  ravine  a  short  distance  be- 
low. The  Ninth  Corps  occupied  the  ridge 
on  one  side,  and  the  enemy  the  other.  It  was 
impossible  to  know  anything  about  their  num- 
ber, for  we  could  only  catch  a  glimpse  of 
them  as  they  passed  back  and  forth  through 
the  open  places.  We  passed  the  picket  line, 


240        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

and  down  the  hill  into  the  ravine.  This  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  enemy,  who  would 
ride  out  on  the  ridge  to  see  if  we  were  making 
an  advance.  Our  number  would  indicate  the 
advance-guard  of  a  column  of  cavalry,  and 
appeared  to  puzzle  them,  as  they  loped  about 
on  the  ridge.  We  thought  sure  they  would 
attempt  to  cut  us  off  as  soon  as  they  discovered 
that  we  were  not  to  be  reinforced.  We  were 
now  in  easy  range  of  the  enemy,  and  of  the 
colored  division  of  the  Ninth  Corps.  In  fact, 
we  were  within  easy  speaking  distance  of  the 
advance  line  of  either  side.  My  experience 
of  a  few  nights  before  caused  me  to  be  cau- 
tious in  front  of  them,  and  I  instructed  the 
boys,  as  we  rode  along,  if  the  enemy  closed 
in  on  us,  we  must  make  a  run  for  life,  and 
the  safest  way  would  be  to  keep  straight  on 
the  road,  until  we  had  passed  Eraser's  division, 
then  wheel  to  the  left,  raise  a  white  flag, 
and  enter  our  lines  in  front  of  the  white 
troops. 

We  found  the  place  designated  in  our  in- 
structions, but  there  was  only  one  man  there 
and  he  was  wounded.  He  had  crawled  out 
of  his  blanket  and  down  to  the  spring  for  a 
drink.  He  said  there  had  been  a  hospital 
there,  and  they  were  falling  back,  and  had 
been  moving  the  wounded  all  day.  We  asked 
him  if  he  would  like  to  go  into  our  lines. 
He  said  no,  they  would  come  after  him,  and 
that  would  suit  him  better. 

On  our  return  we  rode  quietly  along  to  all 


Service  in  Virginia  241 

appearances  as  if  there  were  no  one  else  in 
the  neighborhood,  but  we  realized  the  fact 
that  the  slightest  thing  would  precipitate  a 
shower  of  lead.  We  returned  and  reported 
without  any  accident,  and  I  lay  down  to  take 
a  good  rest. 

The  enemy  withdrew  that  night.  The 
Ninth  Corps  moved  near  White  House  Land- 
ing, and  we  joined  our  regiment,  where  they 
were  camped,  guarding  the  Ninth  Corps 
train,  and  taking  a  few  days'  rest  prior  to 
our  transfer  to  the  cavalry  corps.  We  drew 
ammunition,  as  the  hundred  rounds  issued  in 
Camp  Stoneman  were  now  exhausted.  None 
of  the  ammunition  had  been  wasted,  but  had 
all  been  used  in  engagements. 

The  Second  Ohio  had  long  since  learned 
to  husband  their  cartridges,  and  very  few 
were  lost  or  thrown  away,  as  it  was  of  as 
much  importance  to  have  cartridges  as  it  was 
to  have  rations  and  forage.  If  a  trooper 
went  to  the  hospital  he  did  not  carry  his  cart- 
ridges, but  distributed  them  in  the  company, 
and  we  frequently  picked  up  those  left  by 
other  troops. 

On  the  1 9th  I  was  sent  out  on  the  main 
road  with  a  small  squad  to  reconnoiter  the 
position  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  but  learned 
they  had  withdrawn  toward  Richmond,  and 
on  the  aoth  I  was  sent  out  to  patrol  the  Na- 
tional road  for  several  miles,  and  returned 
without  any  discoveries.  During  the  after- 
noon I  paid  a  visit  to  my  friends  in  the  Sixth 


242        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry.  On  the  morning 
of  the  2ist  our  company  was  detailed  to  take 
a  position  at  the  junction  of  the  by-road  on 
which  the  brigade  was  camped  and  the  main 
road. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  place  where  the  main 
reserve  was  to  remain,  a  sergeant  with  ten 
men  went  to  the  National  road  to  remain  un- 
til the  next  night.  The  videttes  were  sta- 
tioned around  the  main  reserve.  The  object 
of  these  outposts  was  to  give  an  early  alarm 
in  case  the  enemy's  cavalry  should  swing 
around  the  right  flank. 

The  duty  at  first  sight  did  not  appear 
hazardous  or  arduous  under  the  existing  con- 
ditions, but  it  proved  to  be  both.  In  the 
evening  of  the  22d,  Sergt.  George  A.  Wil- 
kins  left  the  main  reserve  with  Corporal 
Wise  and  ten  men  to  relieve  the  detachment 
on  post  at  the  National  road.  I  was  favored 
by  not  being  in  that  detachment,  being  in 
charge  of  a  relief  already  on  duty  at  the  main 
reserve;  but  the  three  men  of  the  mess  to 
which  I  belonged  went  with  the  detachment. 
They  left  about  sundown.  There  was  noth- 
ing unusual  about  it,  and  their  departure 
would  never  have  recurred  to  my  mind  if 
something  unusual  hadn't  happened  after- 
ward. I  had  my  supper  with  the  mess  before 
they  started,  and  kept  rations  enough  to  last 
while  they  were  gone.  My  relief  was  off  duty, 
and  I  lay  down  to  get  some  sleep  before  my 
turn  came  again.  I  had  barely  got  to  sleep, 


GEORGE  A.  WII^KTNS 

Sergeant,  Co.  E,  Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


PACING   241 


Service  in  Virginia  243 

when  someone  said,  "  Here  come  the  boys; 
there  is  something  wrong!" 

The  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  equip- 
ments, was  heard,  and  everyone  was  running 
to  his  horse.  I  was  on  my  feet  in  an  instant, 
and  heard  someone  say,  "  I  don't  know  how 
many  are  killed."  I  ran  to  the  road  to  see 
if  it  was  my  bunky,  and  there  stood  his  and 
Foley's  horses  with  empty  saddles. 

Hoffmeier  and  Corporal  Wise  came  in 
mounted  and  Thatcher  dismounted.  They 
said  Dick  Baird,  my  bunky,  fell  from  his 
horse  while  trying  to  jump  the  fence,  but  they 
did  not  know  whether  he  was  shot  or  not. 
Corporal  Wise,  who  was  riding  in  advance 
by  the  sergeant,  said  when  the  volley  was 
fired,  which  was  a  surprise  to  all,  the  horses 
jumped  in  all  directions.  Some  attempted  to 
go  over  the  fence.  He  turned  and  fired  one 
shot,  as  the  most  of  them  did,  including  Wil- 
kins,  who  then  disappeared,  and  he  ran 
for  camp.  Kelly  and  Platt  kept  the  main 
road,  and  joined  the  detachment  on  picket  at 
the  junction  of  the  National  road,  who  aban- 
doned the  post  and  came  in  by  a  circuitous 
route.  Before  morning  all  but  four  had  re- 
ported. 

At  daylight  next  morning  Lieutenant  New- 
ton took  half  of  the  company  and  went  to 
investigate.  About  one  and  a  half  miles  from 
camp,  Lute's  and  Thatcher's  horses  were 
found  dead,  with  equipments  stripped  off  and 
carried  away.  Sergeant  Wilkins's  revolver 


244        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

lay  in  the  road  with  one  empty  chamber.  His 
horse  stood  in  the  brush,  fifty  yards  beyond 
the  place  where  the  ambuscade  was  located. 
The  saddle  was  covered  with  blood,  which 
was  evidence  that  he  had  been  wounded,  but 
search  failed  to  show  the  direction  he  had 
gone.  He  was  not  in  that  vicinity.  The 
party  had  captured  Lute  and  crossed  an  open 
field,  scattering  the  leaves  of  his  diary  as 
they  went. 

After  the  situation  had  been  thoroughly 
gone  over,  the  lieutenant  told  me  to  take  ten 
men,  to  patrol  the  National  road,  and  to  re- 
establish the  post  at  the  junction,  while  he 
would  make  further  search. 

We  moved  out,  and  after  traveling  the  Na- 
tional road  some  four  or  five  miles,  we 
returned,  passing  the  junction,  and  went  in 
the  direction  of  White  House  Landing,  until 
we  were  halted  by  the  pickets  in  front  of 
Eraser's  division  of  the  Ninth  Corps.  After 
explaining  our  mission  to  the  officer  of  the 
guard,  and  asking  him  to  keep  a  lookout  for 
Sergeant  Wilkins  and  to  render  him  any  as- 
sistance they  could,  we  returned  and  dis- 
mounted at  the  junction. 

We  were  all  feeling  very  blue  after  the 
cowardly  assault  that  had  deprived  us  of  our 
most  esteemed  comrades,  and  were  discussing 
the  question  of  making  a  farther  search  in 
the  thicket  for  Wilkins,  when  a  courier  ar- 
rived with  orders  to  abandon  the  post  and 
report  to  the  regiment. 


Service  in  Virginia  245 

When  we  reported  to  the  regiment  it  was 
late  in  the  evening,  and  they  were  all  ready 
and  moved  out,  and  Lieutenant  Newton  got 
leave  to  remain  with  a  part  of  the  company 
to  make  further  search  for  Sergeant  Wilkins, 
as  he  had  detected  no  evidence  that  he  had 
been  taken  with  the  others,  who  were  without 
doubt  prisoners.  The  regiment  moved  to 
Bowling  Green,  and  lay  in  line  until  two 
o'clock  the  next  morning. 

The  next  day  Lieutenant  Newton  joined  us 
near  Hamilton's  Station,  but  had  gained  no 
intelligence  concerning  the  missing  boys. 
The  first  news  we  received  from  them  was 
that  Wilkins  was  in  the  hospital  at  White 
House  Landing,  having  been  taken  in  at  the 
picket  post  of  the  Ninth  Corps  about  five  hun- 
dred yards  from  where  we  had  talked  to  them 
on  the  23d. 

We  had  actually  passed  within  fifty  yards 
of  where  he  lay  in  the  woods,  both  going 
to  and  coming  from  the  post.  The  next 
time  I  saw  him  he  told  me  that  he  saw  us 
but  did  not  know  whether  we  were  friends  or 
foes,  and  was  so  faint  he  did  not  care,  but 
revived  afterward  and  crawled  to  the  road 
and  hailed  the  picket,  who  came  for  him  after 
he  had  been  lying  there  for  three  nights  with- 
out food  or  water.  During  the  first  night 
he  had  gone  so  far  from  his  horse  that  search 
failed  to  find  him.  He  was  wounded  in  the 
left  shoulder.  The  ball  lodged  in  his  breast 
and  made  a  wound  from  which  he  was  al- 


246        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

ways  a  sufferer,  and  which  at  last  was  the 
cause  of  his  death. 

We  learned  afterward  that  the  act  was  per- 
petrated by  some  of  the  enemy's  dismounted 
cavalry,  who  had  adopted  that  plan  to  re- 
mount themselves. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

ROUGH  TIMES  IN  THE  OLD  DOMINION 

THE  brigade,  now  detached  from  the 
infantry,  was  on   the  march  to   re- 
port to  General  Wilson,  command- 
ing the  Third  Division  of  the  Cav- 
alry   Corps.     For   the    first    time   we   were 
out  of  hearing  of  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the 
rattle  of  musketry  since  crossing  the  Rappa- 
hannock,  excepting  at  short  intervals  of  four 
and  five  hours  when  the  troops  were  chang- 
ing position. 

Camp  was  pitched  in  an  orchard.  The  ad- 
joining plantation  was  well  supplied  with 
forage,  which  was  a  treat  to  the  horses,  as  they 
had  had  no  fodder  since  leaving  Washing- 
ton. Smokehouses  full  of  meat,  and  poultry 
yards  with  quantities  of  fowls  were  other 
rarities  after  marching  through  an  army- 
ridden  country.  Of  this  branch  the  Second 
Ohio  made  a  specialty,  owing  to  former  edu- 
cation, and  the  other  troops  having  had  but 
little  experience,  being  under  orders  not  to 
forage,  we  had  a  monopoly. 

On  May  27  the  brigade  camped  at  Newton, 
leaving  Company  E  to  do  picket  duty  on  the 
north  side  of  town.  After  the  first  relief  re- 
ported to  the  reserve,  O.  D.  Bannon,  who  had 

247 


248        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

occupied  the  post  on  the  main  road,  informed 
the  lieutenant  that  he  had,  by  questioning  a 
young  man,  learned  of  the  whereabouts  of  a 
supply  train  that  had  been  cut  off  by  our  en- 
tering the  town.  The  lieutenant  reported  the 
fact  at  headquarters  and  received  orders  to 
take  his  company  and  capture  it.  After 
traveling  a  short  distance  we  turned  in  to  a 
side  road,  and  soon  came  onto  the  trail  of 
the  train  and  followed  it  to  a  farm  gate,  down 
behind  a  strip  of  woods,  where  we  discovered 
the  wagons,  and  charged  them  from  the  word 
go.  It  proved  to  be  a  bloodless  charge,  as 
there  was  not  a  living  thing  there  but  the 
mules,  which  were  tied  in  their  places,  eating 
corn.  The  harness  was  thrown  onto  them, 
and  the  train  of  six  wagons  moved  out  to 
town.  They  were  loaded  with  salt  pork, 
hams,  fish,  sugar,  and  beans. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  being  detailed 
to  take  charge  of  a  squad  to  capture  some 
horses  that  were  being  recruited  on  a  farm 
near  by  for  the  use  of  the  army,  we  moved 
out,  and  after  traveling  some  miles  arrived 
at  the  place  to  find  them  gone,  those  in  charge 
of  them  having  taken  warning  before  our  ar- 
rival. 

In  the  evening  of  the  29th  Company  E  was 
on  picket,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  squad 
left  to  guard  the  captured  train.  We  drove 
them  to  camp,  and  kept  them  until  morning, 
when  Lieutenant  Newton  received  orders  to 
let  his  company  plunder  and  set  fire  to  them. 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     249 

Our  company  made  a  protest  against  the 
destruction  of  good  provisions,  when  there 
were  hundreds  of  men  who  did  not  get  enough 
to  eat  from  one  week's  end  to  the  other. 
While  it  is  to  be  admitted  that  plundering 
may  be  detrimental  and  cause  demoralization 
when  there  are  spoils  of  vast  quantity  and 
duty  has  to  be  abandoned  to  carry  them  away, 
yet  to  destroy  provisions  before  the  eyes  of 
half-fed  men  is  still  worse.  Especially  so, 
when  there  is  not  enough  to  go  around.  For 
my  individual  use  I  was  allowed  to  take  a 
saddle  horse  that  had  been  taken  from  a  farm- 
yard near  the  train  and  was  supposed  to  be- 
long to  the  trainmaster.  Our  mess  took  one 
mule  and  loaded  it  with  hams,  beans,  fish, 
and  sugar.  There  were  many  refugees,  as 
usual,  and  we  engaged  a  yellow  boy  about 
fourteen  years  old  to  take  care  of  the  pack 
and  my  extra  horse. 

On  the  29th  the  brigade  camped  on  the 
Pamunkey  River,  and  on  the  ^oth  officially 
joined  the  division,  although  the  two  bodies 
of  troops  did  not  meet  until  the  2d  of  June. 

The  Third  Brigade  of  the  Third  Division 
of  the  cavalry  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac moved  out  to  make  a  feint  on  the  forces 
at  Hanover  Court  House.  It  was  said  that 
it  was  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy 
until  General  Wilson  would  burn  the  bridge 
on  the  South  Anna. 

We  soon  met  the  enemy  in  force.  We  dis- 
mounted, and  advanced  in  line  through  the 


250        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

woods,  with  thick  underbrush  to  contend  with. 
The  artillery  followed  the  road  to  the  left  of 
the  line  until,  having  arrived  at  a  suitable  po- 
sition in  an  open  field,  that  chanced  to  be 
beyond  the  enemy's  right  flank  far  enough 
away  to  have  room  to  load  and  fire,  they 
opened  the  ball  before  we  were  able  to  pene- 
trate the  brush. 

Being  on  the  advance  line  I  was  one  of  the 
first  to  climb  the  fence  that  brought  us  within 
a  few  rods  and  in  plain  view  of  the  enemy's 
advance  line,  who  were  changing  their  posi- 
tion rapidly  as  they  squatted  about  in  the 
long  grass,  taking  deliberate  aim  at  the  gun- 
ners. They  were  unaware  of  our  approach, 
and  the  Indian  yell  almost  in  their  ears  caused 
them  to  change  their  position  in  another  di- 
rection, as  we  were  advancing  in  double- 
quick  time.  The  trumpet  sounded  halt,  with 
orders  to  lie  down  and  wait  for  the  main  line 
to  get  out  of  the  brush  and  form  on  open 
ground.  The  grass  was  several  inches  high 
and,  being  on  the  ground  that  sloped  toward 
them,  we  appeared  to  make  a  pretty  good 
showing,  judging  from  the  shower  of  lead  that 
was  continually  passing  over  us.  Unfortu- 
nately I  was  wearing  a  straw  hat  at  the 
time,  and  as  it  showed  pretty  plain  it  was  es- 
sential that  it  be  pressed  very  close  to  the 
ground,  regardless  of  the  disfigurement  of 
the  hat.  A  Johnnie  dropped  down  just  ahead 
of  me,  and  calling  to  the  lieutenant  to  know 
if  I  should  go  after  him,  and  receiving  no 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     251 

answer,  I  concluded  to  make  an  effort  any- 
way. On  rising  to  my  knees  I  found  it  was  too 
much  like  attacking  a  nest  of  hornets.  With 
the  shower  of  lead  falling  about,  I  experienced 
a  sudden  change  of  mind,  and  concluded  that 
we  did  not  want  any  Johnnies. 

It  was  not  long  until  the  Indian  yell  behind 
us  told  that  the  Second  was  in  line  and  on  the 
charge.  We  were  soon  on  our  feet,  and  se- 
cured the  Johnnie  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  tell  it.  We  picked  up  several  more  before 
arriving  at  the  woods,  where  a  strong  line  was 
lying  behind  the  fallen  trees.  They  poured 
out  a  continual  volley,  and  made  it  appear  as 
if  we  would  not  be  able  to  dislodge  them. 
But  they  finally  gave  way  before  the  galling 
fire  from  the  Spencer  carbines  and  the  battery, 
which  had  a  fine  range  on  them. 

We  crossed  the  road  and  were  in  the  tim- 
ber before  they  were  all  out  of  it.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  strip  of  woods  we  could 
see  them  filing  into  the  timber  to  the  right 
and  in  the  ravine  to  the  left.  In  front  there 
"was  a  level  field  that  broke  into  a  ravine  on 
the  other  side  of  which  stands  Hanover  Sta- 
tion and  Court  House.  There  were  a  bat- 
tery and  troops  enough  to  support  it  near  the 
station  and  in  full  view. 

Our  appearance  created  a  stir  among  them 
and  they  opened  on  us.  We  thought  we 
would  intercept  some  of  them  who  were  filing 
into  the  ravine  to  our  left,  and  so  we  kept  on, 
and  I  was  so  near  those  in  the  rear  that  the 


252        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

fire  from  both  sides  was  directed  at  me.  I 
stopped  and  waved  my  hat  to  some  of  our 
men,  who  ceased  firing,  and  then  I  ran  to  the 
edge  of  the  ravine  and  headed  off  two  John- 
nies and  made  them  throw  down  their  guns. 
I  then  took  refuge  behind  the  bank,  though 
it  did  not  protect  me,  for  the  firing  was  di- 
rected by  those  that  were  also  behind  the  bank, 
and  as  I  did  not  want  to  be  shot  by  my  friends, 
I  stood  up  behind  the  telegraph  pole  on  the 
enemy's  side.  Presuming  that  I  was  one  of 
their  men,  they  ceased  firing. 

The  trumpets  sounded  assembly,  and  we 
returned  to  the  strip  of  woods,  reformed,  and 
marched  back  near  the  battery,  where  we  met 
our  horses.  Here  our  mess  was  inconven- 
ienced by  finding  that  the  pack  mule  had  not 
come  to  the  front.  After  making  coffee,  we 
mounted  and  moved  forward  to  the  road,  then 
into  the  woods  to  the  right,  and  dismounted. 

This  move  was  supposed  to  be  on  the  quiet 
under  cover  of  the  timber,  but  the  enemy 
caught  on  and  shelled  the  woods  to  a  finish. 
The  horses  were  sent  back  and  the  line  moved 
forward  through  the  open  woods,  until  we 
came  to  a  ravine,  about  one  fourth  of  a  mile 
wide,  with  a  few  small  bunches  of  brush  on 
the  border  of  a  ditch  that  ran  through  the 
center  of  it. 

It  was  about  sundown,  and  the  brigade  had 
maintained  a  very  good  line.  The  Second 
Ohio  was  on  the  left  with  the  extreme  left 
opposite  to  the  railroad  depot,  with  our  com- 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     253 

pany  on  the  right  center  of  the  regiment. 
When  we  came  to  the  ravine,  with  the  enemy 
in  full  view  on  the  opposite  side,  they  opened 
fire  on  us.  The  Second  Ohio  raised  the  yell, 
ran  down  the  bank,  and  across  the  ravine, 
firing  as  they  ran.  The  enemy  gave  way  in 
front  of  us.  I  had  already  crossed  the  ditch 
when  the  trumpet  sounded  retreat.  I  turned 
back,  and  to  my  surprise  saw  the  line  in  con- 
fusion, a  confusion  which  had  been  caused 
by  the  misconstruction  of  the  object  of  the 
General. 

He  saw  the  mistake,  and  the  trumpet 
sounded  forward.  We  were  now  under  fire 
from  right  to  left.  This  confusion  was  all 
caused  by  the  different  methods  of  the  dif- 
ferent troops.  It  was  the  custom  of  our  regi- 
ment, being  the  only  one  in  the  brigade  that 
had  much  experience,  to  dash  forward  as  soon 
as  we  got  under  fire,  and  dislodge  the  enemy 
or  retreat  to  a  safe  distance. 

When  General  Mclntosh  saw  us  strung  out 
all  over  the  valley  he  thought  to  rally  us  by 
sounding  retreat.  Many  of  the  officers  in 
the  other  regiments  thought  it  applied  to  the 
whole  line  and  ordered  retreat,  which  left  the 
line  with  gaps  in  it,  some  going  back  and 
some  advancing. 

I  had  recrossed  the  ditch  when  the  trumpet 
sounded  forward,  and  waited  a  moment  to 
see  what  was  going  to  be  done.  All  this 
would  have  given  the  enemy  a  big  advantage 
had  not  the  first  line  already  given  way  except 


254        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

a  few  who  were  still  lying  in  small  pits  with 
hand  grenades.  When  I  saw  our  line  was 
coming  on  all  right,  and  someone  was  getting 
close  range  on  me,  I  crossed  the  ditch  and 
ran  for  the  opposite  bank  of  the  ravine,  then 
an  old  stock-field.  When  going  up  the  bank 
some  fellow  tossed  a  hand  grenade  up  in  front 
of  me,  and  there  were  several  more  all  along 
the  bank;  but  they  were  ineffectual,  as  those 
who  threw  them  did  not  have  the  strength 
to  cast  them  far  enough. 

When  we  came  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  we 
were  met  with  a  fresh  volley  reserved  for  our 
reception,  but  fired  too  soon  to  do  any  dam- 
age. Only  two  of  us  were  at  the  top  of  the 
bank,  neither  of  whom  was  hit.  The  others 
were  on  low  ground.  The  shower  went  over 
them  like  a  swarm  of  bees,  but  it  brought  out 
the  order  to  lie  down.  We  dropped  flat  be- 
tween the  rows  of  dead  corn-stalks,  and  they 
had  a  woeful  sound  when  struck  by  bullets. 
It  was  now  dark,  and  Hays,  who  lay  near  me, 
said,  "  I  am  going  to  get  back  under  the 
bank." 

"  Lie  still,"  I  said,  "  we  are  safer  here." 
But  he  went,  and  I  was  left,  the  only  rep- 
resentative on  the  high  ground,  and  the  boys 
were  now  calling  to  me  to  come  back.  But 
I  hugged  the  ground  the  tighter,  and  was 
covered  with  dirt  kicked  up  by  the  spatter  of 
bullets.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  every  corn- 
stalk in  that  field  was  hit.  The  fight  was  now 
general  from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other. 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     255 

and  to  the  left  the  roar  and  shouts  and  yells 
of  every  description  rilled  the  air  and  indi- 
cated that  something  decisive  must  soon  take 
place.  In  a  few  moments  the  din  of  battle 
ceased,  and  everything  was  as  quiet  as  a  May 
morning  for  a  moment,  then  a  cheer  arose 
from  the  left  of  the  line  and  passed  to  the 
right,  telling  us  that  the  victory  was  ours. 

The  enemy  had  abandoned  the  field,  leav- 
ing dead  and  wounded  behind  them.  A  des- 
perate hand-to-hand  conflict  took  place  be- 
tween the  enemy's  right,  in  possession  of  the 
railroad  depot,  and  one  battalion  of  the  Sec- 
ond Ohio,  who  had  closed  in  so  close  that 
shooting  was  abandoned,  and  guns  were  used 
as  clubs  on  both  sides.  Our  men  gained  a 
position  that  compelled  their  whole  line  to 
retire.  We  moved  on  to  the  ground  they 
abandoned.  Many  dead  and  wounded  were 
lying  about,  uncared  for. 

About  eleven  o'clock  our  horses  came  up. 
Our  mess  had  to  borrow  some  rations  to  get 
a  little  supper.  A  detail  was  sent  to  the  pack- 
train,  and  brought  some  rations,  which  were 
issued  about  two  o'clock  with  orders  to  get 
breakfast. 

I  did  not  have  much  rest  that  night.  A 
wounded  Johnnie  lay  in  front  of  us  who  kept 
calling  for  water,  and  I  made  three  different 
trips  to  supply  him. 

"Where  did  you  Yanks  come  from?"  he 
said.  "  We  never  heard  anybody  yell  like 
that,  and  thought  it  was  an  infantry  charge." 


256        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

"  We  learned  it  from  the  Indians,"  I  said. 

The  first  charge  we  made  in  the  morning 
deceived  our  own  brigade,  who  could  not  see 
us,  and  the  yell  caused  them  to  think  they 
were  flanked  by  the  rebel  infantry.  It  was 
said  that  some  of  them  broke  and  ran. 

We  moved  out  a  few  minutes  after  two 
o'clock  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy.  Our 
mess  ate  hard  tack  and  bacon  without  coffee. 
The  column  moved  very  slowly,  and  the  ad- 
vance had  to  feel  their  way  through  the  pine 
woods.  The  Second  occupied  the  position  of 
left  center,  and  were  followed  by  one  regi- 
ment and  the  pack-train. 

When  the  advance  arrived  at  Ashland  Sta- 
tion an  order  was  sent  back  to  patrol  the  by- 
road that  led  out  into  the  timber  on  either 
side  of  the  main  road,  and  I  was  sent  out  on 
one  of  those  roads  with  three  men. 

We  had  traveled  but  a  few  hundred  yards 
when  two  men  stepped  from  behind  trees  and 
fired  at  us.  They  were  some  distance  away, 
and  we  ran  toward  them;  but  the  forest  was 
heavy  and  swampy,  and  it  was  our  duty  to 
return  and  report  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
told  the  lieutenant  we  had  run  against  two 
bushwhackers,  who  were  in  reality  the 
videttes  of  a  heavy  force  that  had  withdrawn 
from  the  road  in  order  to  let  the  column  pass 
into  their  lines.  Another  party  had  been  sent 
out  on  the  other  side  on  a  similar  road,  and 
Ed.  Kelley,  one  of  the  party,  had  captured 
one  of  the  videttes,  and  brought  him  in. 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     257 

When  Kelley  found  himself  encumbered 
with  a  prisoner  he  asked  the  lieutenant  what 
to  do  with  the  man.  The  answer  was :  "  Keep 
watch  over  him,  or  take  him  to  the  rear- 
guard." Kelley  did  not  want  to  watch  him, 
and  started  back  to  the  rear. 

The  boys  who  were  taken  prisoners  that 
day  tell  a  good  joke  about  him,  but  he  denies 
it  in  part.  As  they  started,  Kelley  said, 
"  Now,  Johnnie,  I  see  you  have  a  watch  there. 
The  other  fellows  will  take  it,  so  you  might 
as  well  give  it  to  me."  When  he  had  the 
watch,  he  said,  "  Now,  Johnnie,  I  don't  want 
to  impose  on  you,  just  because  you  are  a  pris- 
oner; but  necessity  requires  that  we  make 
pretty  good  time."  The  prisoner  double- 
quicked  along  by  the  First  Connecticut  for  a 
short  distance,  then  took  a  by-road,  and  met 
the  head  of  the  enemy's  column  as  they  closed 
in  on  our  column.  There  was  a  platoon  of 
twenty  with  drawn  revolvers  and  they  de- 
manded the  surrender  of  Kelley.  The  guard 
became  the  prisoner,  and  the  Johnnie  then 
said,  "Yank,  I  see  you  have  some  valuables 
there.  These  other  fellows  will  take  them 
from  you,  so  you  might  as  well  give  them 
to  me."  He  relieved  Kelley  of  two  watches, 
revolver,  carbine,  money,  horse  and  equip- 
ments, with  blankets  and  clothing,  and  was 
better  fitted  out  than  he  had  ever  been  be- 
fore. 

The  First  Connecticut  rushed  past  us  on 
both  sides,  carrying  everything  that  came  in 


258        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

their  way,  until  they  landed  in  town.  This 
was  the  proper  thing  to  do,  for  they  could 
do  nothing,  attacked  on  both  flanks.  They 
could  not  protect  themselves,  and  to  ride 
slowly  would  have  blocked  the  way  so  that 
the  Second  could  do  nothing. 

As  soon  as  the  First  was  out  of  our  way, 
the  Second  turned  into  the  woods  on  the  left 
of  the  road,  and  wheeled  about  into  line. 
The  Third  New  Jersey  and  the  Fifth  New 
York  did  the  same  on  the  right  of  the  road, 
and  the  battle  began  in  earnest.  Our  com- 
pany was  deployed  as  advance  line  in  front 
of  our  battalion  and  D  company  to  our  left 
in  front  of  their  battalion.  The  artillery  had 
faced  about  in  town  to  command  the  road. 
The  enemy  was  now  coming  down  on  us  in 
solid  column  of  platoons  that  filled  the  road 
from  one  side  to  the  other.  The  battery  was 
pouring  shell  into  them  at  a  rapid  rate,  but 
it  did  not  check  them.  We  were  confronted 
by  dismounted  cavalry,  while  a  heavy  line  of 
infantry  fell  against  the  Third  New  Jersey 
and  Fifth  New  York,  and  they  were  com- 
pelled to  break. 

Things  looked  bad  for  us,  and  the  trumpet 
sounded  the  charge.  Great  gaps  were  torn 
through  the  enemy.  The  battery  was  now 
throwing  grape  into  the  solid  column  and  it 
was  almost  annihilated.  The  air  was  now 
thick  with  smoke,  flying  leaves,  limbs,  bark, 
and  other  missiles.  By  the  time  I  had  passed 
the  enemy's  advance  line  the  trumpet  sounded 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     259 

retreat,  and  I  said  to  a  foe  in  front  of  me, 
"  If  I  get  out  of  this  mess  I  will  want  some- 
thing to  show  that  I  have  been  here."  Then 
I  turned  my  horse  around  him,  making  a  com- 
plete about  face,  placed  the  muzzle  of  the 
gun  at  his  right  shoulder  and  demanded  his 
revolver;  but  I  was  compelled  to  repeat  the 
demand  the  third  time,  when  he  drew  it  from 
the  scabbard  and  handed  it  to  me,  hilt  first. 
As  he  handed  it  up  I  noticed  that  it  was  of 
a  different  pattern  from  any  I  had  ever  seen, 
and  shoving  it  under  my  belt  I  gave  the  order 
forward.  As  we  passed  through  his  line, 
two  of  his  men  rose  up  from  behind  the  bush 
and  fired,  leaving  powder  buried  in  my 
face. 

When  we  had  advanced  a  little  farther, 
Dixie  met  us,  and  called  out,  "  You  got  one, 
did  you,  Cause?" 

"  Yes,  take  him  to  the  rear,  will  you?  " 

"All  right,"  he  replied;  "but  the  Fifth 
New  York  has  gone  to  h—  -!  " 

On  turning  I  noticed  Company  D  go  en 
masse  up  the  road  toward  the  front,  which 
proved  there  was  a  desperate  struggle  on. 
When  Dixie  left  me,  thinking  I  would  give 
the  enemy  another  shot,  I  rode  behind  a 
large  pine  tree  for  protection  and  to  rest  the 
gun,  and  when  about  to  pull  the  trigger,  down 
went  my  horse.  The  collapse  was  so  sudden 
that  there  was  not  time  to  get  my  balance,  and 
he  rolled  over  on  my  leg.  With  a  desperate 
effort,  I  was  able  to  get  out  by  leaving  my 


260       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

boot.  My  only  thought  when  we  went  down 
was  to  save  the  gun  and  ammunition,  and 
without  changing  my  mind  I  went  ske- 
daddling on  all  fours. 

After  putting  a  little  brush  between  the 
enemy  and  me,  I  rose  up,  and  with  a  few7 
bounds  I  was  with  the  company.  They  were 
startled  to  see  me,  for  when  I  went  down, 
Keiper,  who  had  been  looking  through  an 
open  place,  supposed  I  was  killed,  and  had 
made  the  remark,  "  Cause  is  gone."  The 
word  had  been  repeated  and  they  took  it  for 
granted.  They  said  some  of  the  boys  had 
been  wounded  and  I  could  go  and  get  one  of 
their  horses.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  and 
I  was  off  with  a  bound,  and  as  I  arrived  on 
the  open  ground  an  officer  with  drawn  saber 
shouted,  "  Go  back  into  the  brush! "  "  I  am 
going  for  a  horse,"  I  replied,  and  paid  no 
more  attention  to  him.  At  the  same  time  I 
noticed  they  were  sending  the  men  from  the 
broken  ranks  to  the  thicket  I  had  just  emerged 
from.  The  staff  officers  were  riding  about 
shouting,  "  Colonel  Purrington  is  in  com- 
mand, and  you  are  ordered  to  rally  on  the 
Second  Ohio." 

On  reaching  the  hospital  where  they  were 
carrying  the  wounded,  the  first  man  I  met 
was  Tommy  Rees.  His  clothes  were  all 
stripped  off  except  the  shirt,  and  he  was  hold- 
ing that  up  to  keep  it  from  rubbing  a  wound 
on  his  left  hip.  When  he  saw  me  coming 
the  tears  came  to  his  eyes,  and  he  said,  "  Give 


Rough  Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     261 

me  a  chew  of  tobacco  and  I  can  live  as  long 
as  anybody." 

I  divided  my  tobacco  with  him,  and  left 
him,  and  went  on  with  my  search  for  a  horse. 
Poor  Tommie  was  left,  and  remained  a  pris- 
oner, but  after  many  months  he  escaped  and 
succeeded  in  reaching  some  of  our  vessels  on 
the  North  Carolina  coast. 

While  searching  for  a  horse  I  came  to  a 
group  of  prisoners,  and  among  them  I  found 
the  man  that  surrendered  to  me.  He  said  he 
was  Lieutenant  William  McGalley  of  the 
Ninth  Virginia  Cavalry,  and  had  command 
of  a  battalion  that  was  engaged  from  where 
he  surrendered  to  the  road.  Dixie  was  one 
of  the  guards. 

The  firing  had  now  ceased,  so  I  perched 
myself  on  the  fence  and  entered  into  conversa- 
tion with  Lieutenant  McGalley.  He  said 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  surrender  at  first, 
but  he  noticed  the  third  time  I  challenged  I 
brought  the  gun  a  little  closer  to  my  face,  and 
he  thought  it  time  to  act. 

It  was  not  long  until  the  brush  began  to 
snap  behind  us  in  the  dense  thicket,  and  the 
prisoners'  looks  indicated  that  they  knew  what 
it  meant,  for  they  appeared  very  much 
pleased,  and  evidently  thought  we  would  all 
have  to  surrender  in  a  short  time.  But  they 
had  yet  to  learn  the  ways  of  the  wily  Western 
cavalry.  I  was  either  too  much  engaged,  or 
too  stupid  to  take  the  hint,  although  I  looked 
over  my  shoulder  two  or  three  times.  It  was 


262        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

not  long  until  a  musket  exploded  behind  me, 
and  something  that  sounded  like  a  yellow 
jacket  on  the  wing  went  by  my  ear.  It  was 
followed  by  several  more,  but  we  had  taken 
the  hint  and  were  on  the  run. 

Dozens  of  wounded  horses  were  near  by 
with  saddles  lying  about.  I  threw  a  saddle 
on  the  best-looking  one  and  mounted,  but  he 
could  not  go.  The  missiles  were  flying  pretty 
thick.  The  prisoners  had  disappeared  from 
sight,  and  alone,  in  my  shirt  sleeves,  with  no 
hat  and  only  one  boot,  I  struck  out  in  the 
same  direction  they  had  gone.  I  passed  by 
the  village  and  up  the  railroad  track,  when 
a  man  came  dashing  by  with  a  led-horse.  I 
reached  out  and  caught  the  halter  and  said, 
"You  have  too  many  horses  for  one  man 
when  others  are  walking."  He  let  go  with- 
out a  word,  and  by  the  time  I  was  mounted 
he  was  out  of  sight. 

The  ambulance  and  the  caissons  had  al- 
ready begun  to  move  down  the  railroad  track, 
and  it  was  evident  that  someone  had  been 
doing  something  while  the  Johnnies  were  clos- 
ing in  on  us  from  all  sides.  The  time  had 
been  improved  by  Colonel  Purrington  in 
making  preparations  for  a  lively  retreat,  and 
leaving  the  Johnnies  to  hold  the  bag  with 
a  few  wounded  in  it. 

The  story  goes  in  this  way:  When  General 
Mclntosh  ordered  D  company  to  charge, 
it  was  a  last  ditch  move,  as  it  had  to 
charge  against  a  solid  column  of  infantry  un- 


Rough  Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     263 

der  the  fire  of  our  own  grape  and  canister. 
It  nearly  annihilated  the  company,  but 
hoping  to  check  their  advance  in  this  way, 
he  called  a  council  with  the  field  officers,  and 
Colonel  Purrington  was  the  last  to  respond. 

As  he  approached  the  assembled  officers, 
some  staff  officer  said,  "  General,  hadn't  we 
better  make  some  terms?  " 

"  You  need  make  no  terms  for  me.  I  be- 
long to  the  cavalry,"  replied  Colonel  Pur- 
rington. 

On  hearing  this  remark,  General  Mclntosh 
said:  "  Colonel  Purrington,  take  command  of 
the  brigade.  Here  is  my  staff.  The  ad- 
jutant-general will  see  that  your  orders  are 
carried  into  effect." 

The  staff  officers  assembled  about  Colonel 
Purrington,  and  he  told  them  to  send  all 
the  disorganized  men  into  that  thicket.  They 
asked  what  they  would  do  there. 

"  There  are  plenty  of  generals  there  to  tell 
you  what  to  do,"  was  the  reply. 

They  rushed  about  frantically  to  carry  the 
order  into  effect.  The  Colonel  then  sent 
word  to  the  officers  of  the  Second  Ohio  to 
put  in  line  all  the  men  that  came  into  the 
brush,  and  to  dismount  and  send  the  horses 
to  the  rear.  The  most  of  the  Fifth  New  York 
had  returned  and  reformed  their  line  as  soon 
as  they  saw  that  the  Second  Ohio  had  not 
broken. 

The  horses  were  moved  back  by  the  rail- 
road, and  formed  in  an  open  field.  It  was 


264        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

there  the  man  was  going  from  whom  I  got 
the  horse.  I  was  quietly  riding  along,  hop- 
ing not  to  meet  the  man  again,  and  I  came 
to  the  led-horses,  and  a  sergeant  from  the 
Fifth  New  York  rode  out  and  inquired  where 
I  had  gotten  the  horse.  I  related  the  facts 
to  him,  and  he  replied  that  it  belonged  to 
his  brother  who  was  missing;  for  all  he  knew, 
killed.  He  said  if  I  would  wait  there  until 
the  regiment  came,  and  his  brother  did  not  ap- 
pear with  them,  I  might  keep  the  horse. 
The  offer  was  a  generous  one,  but  after  con- 
sidering my  position,  we  thought  it  better  to 
be  advance-guard  than  rear  in  case  we  should 
be  deprived  of  the  horse.  I  slipped  down 
and  gave  him  the  halter  and  hobbled  away 
by  the  side  of  the  railroad  track. 

The  ambulances  were  bouncing  along  on 
the  ties,  tossing  the  wounded  men,  who 
screamed  and  called  for  mercy.  There  was 
no  ballast  between  the  ties,  and  it  was  a  won- 
der the  ambulances  did  not  all  turn  over. 

We  finally  came  to  a  road  that  crossed  the 
track,  and  turned  on  to  it.  The  column  had 
mounted,  and  were  now  passing  those  on  foot, 
but  the  ambulance  corps  kept  out  of  their 
way.  Our  regiment  came  last.  When  our 
company  passed  me  they  said  they  had  ad- 
vanced, dismounted,  to  where  my  horse  lay, 
and  had  gotten  my  coat  and  blankets,  but  did 
not  get  the  boot,  hat,  and  rations  that  were 
under  the  horse. 

When   Captain   Nettleton's   company  was 


Rough   Times  in  the  Old  Dominion     265 

passing  there  was  one  pack-horse,  and  I  said 
to  the  boy,  "  You  have  too  many  horses  for 
one,  when  there  are  some  that  have  none." 

"  How  am  I  to  lead  the  horse,  and  you  rid- 
ing it?  "  he  whined. 

"  I  am  a  pretty  good  rider,"  I  said,  "and 
can  get  along  without  a  leader." 

I  mounted  without  taking  the  halter  from 
him  and  without  halting  the  horse,  and  I  sat 
upon  the  pack  like  a  toad  on  a  harrow  all 
night,  and  took  a  doze  now  and  then. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  railroad  bridge, 
the  one  it  was  said  General  Wilson  should 
have  burned,  it  served  us  a  good  purpose. 
There  was  some  lumber  near  by,  and  the  men 
set  to  work  and  laid  a  floor  as  far  as  the  lum- 
ber would  reach,  and  then  built  fires  all  the 
way  across  on  each  side  to  make  it  light,  and 
led  the  horses  across,  and  they  stepped  from 
tie  to  tie  with  nearly  as  much  precision  as 
the  men.  Only  one  now  and  then  missed  his 
footing  and  plunged  about  for  a  moment. 

As  soon  as  we  were  all  across,  the  loose 
lumber  was  piled  on  the  fires  and. the  bridge 
was  soon  in  flames. 

Every  time  a  trooper  of  the  Fifth  New 
York  passed  us,  he  would  apologize  by  say- 
ing, "  We  ran  and  left  you  once,  but  we  will 
never  do  it  again  as  long  as  there  is  a  man  of 
us  left  to  represent  the  Fifth." 

We  wound  our  way  through  a  hot-bed  that 
night.  We  were  in  the  rear  of  the  right  wing 
of  General  Lee's  army,  and  scouting  parties 


266        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

rode  into  our  column  at  different  times,  and, 
when  they  found  out  who  we  were  they  would 
run  away.  This  could  easily  be  done  from 
the  fact  that  they  would  inquire  what  regi- 
ment, which  was  a  common  question  in  the 
dark,  and  the  reply  would  set  them  right  at 
once,  and  they  would  turn  and  disappear  in 
the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  FORTUNES  AND  MISFORTUNES  OF  WAR 

A)  we  moved  along  I  soliloquized  on  the 
fortunes  and  misfortunes  of  war. 
Twenty-four  hours  before  I  had  been 
pretty  well  fixed,  with  almost  new 
high  top-boots,  two  horses  and  saddles,  a  pack- 
mule,  rations  enough  for  four  men  and  a  cook 
for  fifteen  days,  and  now  I  was  not  only  a  de- 
pendent, but  a  usurper,  sitting  on  top  of  a 
pack  that  was  so  high  that  my  feet  could  not 
reach  the  stirrups.  At  daybreak  we  halted 
until  we  could  investigate  our  position. 

Our  mess  was  invited  out  to  breakfast, 
which  we  accepted  graciously  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. We  had  had  no  coffee  since  the 
night  of  the  3ist  at  Hanover  Court  House, 
and  but  little  hard  tack  and  bacon. 

Early  in  the  morning  patrols  were  dis- 
patched to  scour  the  country,  and  they  re- 
turned with  the  information  that  Wilson  had 
not  passed  that  way.  With  the  Second  Ohio 
in  advance,  we  marched  to  the  wagon-train 
near  Hanover  Court  House,  where  we  ar- 
rived about  1 1  A.  M. 

I  was  soon  fitted  out  as  good  as  new.  One 
had  an  extra  hat,  another  a  pair  of  boots,  and 

267 


268        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

Billy  Pigeon  was  sick  and  had  to  go  to  the 
hospital.  That  left  a  horse  for  me;  and  as 
for  rations,  we  always  got  something  when 
the  others  cooked,  until  regular  ration  day 
arrived. 

A  very  significant  question  was  asked  all 
over  the  camp.  They  wanted  to  know  the 
whereabouts  of  General  Wilson,  a  man  whom 
we  had  never  heard  of  until  the  3oth  of  May, 
and  whom  we  had  not  yet  seen.  It  was  the 
all-absorbing  question  with  the  Second  Ohio, 
for  he  was  now  our  commander. 

Scouting  parties  were  sent  out,  and  on  their 
return  reported  one  brigade  camped  about 
five  miles  from  us.  At  four  o'clock  there 
were  orders  to  be  ready  to  march  at  five 
o'clock,  and  at  the  appointed  hour  the  two 
brigades  with  General  Wilson  made  their  ap- 
pearance, and  we  moved  out. 

By  inquiring  we  learned  that  they  had  been 
camped  not  far  apart,  and  about  five  miles 
from  the  wagon-train,  doing  nothing  but 
patrolling  the  roads  for  their  own  security, 
and  had  sent  out  the  new  or  Third  Brigade 
to  do  what  the  whole  division  should  have 
done,  to  drive  in  General  Lee's  right.  They 
did  not  expect  us  to  do  any  more  than  fire 
a  volley  and  run  like  Turks,  and  General  Wil- 
son would  then  have  two  brigades  to  cover 
him  when  he  skedaddled. 

General  Sheridan  says  in  his  "  Memoirs," 
in  relating  the  account  of  the  distribution  of 
the  cavalry  corps  after  his  first  raid: 


Fortunes  and  Misfortunes  of  War    269 

After  the  26th  to  the  3<pth,  these  duties  kept  Wilson  constantly 
occupied,  and  also  necessitated  a  considerable  disposition  of  his 
force;  but  by  the  sist  he  was  enabled  to  get  all  his  division 
together,  and  crossing  to  the  south  side  of  the  Pamunkey,  at 
Newcastle  Ferry,  he  advanced  toward  Hanover  Court  House, 
near  Dr.  Price's  house.  He  encountered  a  division  of  the 
enemy's  cavalry  under  W.  H.  F.  Lee,  and  drove  it  back  across 
Mechanics  Creek,  there  opening  communication  with  the  right 
of  our  infantry  resting  at  Phillip's  Mills.  Just  as  this  had  been 
done,  a  little  before  dark,  Wilson  received  an  order  from  Gen- 
eral Meade,  directing  him  to  push  on  toward  Richmond,  until  he 
encountered  the  Confederates  in  such  strength  that  he  could  no 
longer  successfully  contend  against  them.  In  compliance  with 
this  order  he  occupied  Hanover  Court  House  that  same  day, 
resuming  his  march  at  daylight.  On  June  i  he  went  ahead  on 
the  Ashland  road,  while  sending  Chapman's  brigade  up  the 
South  Anna  to  destroy  the  bridge  on  that  stream.  Chapman  suc- 
ceeded in  this  work.  Wilson  reunited  his  whole  force,  and  en- 
deavored to  hold  Ashland,  but  finding  the  Confederate  cavalry 
and  infantry  here  in  strong  force,  he  was  obliged  to  withdraw  to 
Dr.  Pierce's  house. 

While  there  can  be  no  misrepresentation 
on  the  part  of  General  Sheridan,  for  his  mem- 
ory serves  him  from  the  report  he  received 
from  the  Third  Division  (he  not  being  pres- 
ent), yet  the  only  conclusion  an  eyewitness 
can  come  to  is  that  General  Wilson  attempted 
to  hold  Ashland  at  long  range,  say  twelve  or 
fourteen  miles;  but  this  usually  fails  where 
there  is  an  active  and  determined  enemy  oc- 
cupying the  place. 

If  any  troops  of  the  Third  Division  of  cav- 
alry except  the  Third  Brigade  fired  a  shot 
or  did  any  marching  on  the  ^ist  of  May  or 
the  ist  of  June,  the  most  diligent  inquiry 
failed  to  bring  out  the  facts.  Had  it  not  been 
for  the  timely  arrival  of  Colonel  Purrington, 
the  Third  Brigade  would  have  been  a  total 
loss  to  the  Union  Army,  and  would  not  have 


270        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

had  much  to  do  with  the  future  operations 
of  the  cavalry  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

We  were  not  even  allowed  one  night's  rest 
after  the  desperate  struggle  at  Ashland.  By 
marching  with  the  knowledge  already  gained, 
and  reinforced  by  two  brigades,  Colonel  Pur- 
rington,  had  he  been  in  command,  could  have 
taken  Ashland  and  completely  cut  off  General 
Lee's  railroad  communication  from  Rich- 
mond. As  it  was,  the  Second  was  proud  of 
the  record  it  had  made;  and  although  it  cost 
us  dearly,  nothing  less  would  have  illustrated 
the  difference  between  the  methods  of  the 
Eastern  and  Western  cavalry.  It  proved 
to  them  that  they  did  not  have  to  withdraw 
or  surrender  when  they  confronted  the  enemy. 

We  moved  out  to  Howe's  shop  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  3d  of  June.  The  Second  Brigade 
confronted  the  enemy,  and  the  Second  Ohio 
was  detached  to  support  them.  It  was 
claimed  that  this  was  done  to  give  us  sufficient 
recognition  for  gallantry.  This  was  accepted 
as  a  jest  with  the  Second,  for  the  boys 
said  they  did  not  see  any  honor  in  being  recog- 
nized by  a  man  who  was  willing  to  sacrifice 
them  to  save  his  own  scalp. 

The  fact  is,  however,  there  was  a  new  order 
of  things  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 
all  their  efforts  to  sacrifice  the  Western  men 
had  failed. 

Grant  had  not  proved  his  wonderful  tactics 
in  conducting  glorious  retreat.  Sheridan  had 
proved  himself  a  cavalry  officer  of  no  mean 


Fortunes  and  Misfortunes  of  War    271 

ability,  and  the  Second  Ohio,  the  only  repre- 
sentative of  that  branch  of  the  service  from 
the  West,  had  introduced  new  methods,  and 
the  Eastern  officers  saw  that  they  must  take 
advantage  of  the  new  order  of  things  or  be 
lost  in  the  shuffle. 

In  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  the  men  that 
had  been  spoken  of  with  contempt  were  now 
emerging  from  their  lurking  obscurity  to  be 
the  heroes  of  victory,  and  were  now  striking 
terror  to  the  hearts  of  their  foes. 

Our  reward  for  gallantry  was  lying  in  line 
all  day  and  night  with  Company  A  deployed 
as  videttes.  The  enemy  advanced,  and  Com- 
pany E  was  ordered  out  to  support  the  videttes, 
and  gave  Wilson  and  his  troops  a  fine  exhibi- 
tion, with  genuine  skirmish  firing  and  falling 
back  in  front  of  superior  numbers.  The  enemy 
soon  withdrew,  however,  there  being  only  a 
small  brigade  that  had  followed  Wilson  from 
Dr.  Price's  house. 

On  the  ad  the  First  Division  of  the  cavalry 
corps  relieved  the  Third,  and  with  all  the 
troops  under  his  command  General  Wilson 
did  not  relieve  the  Second  Ohio  from  duty 
to  get  even  twelve  hours'  rest. 

On  June  6  the  division  moved  behind  the 
main  line  to  take  a  few  days'  rest  preparatory 
to  going  on  a  raid  into  southern  Virginia. 
We  had  staked  the  horses  out  to  graze,  and 
were  getting  nicely  fixed  to  rest,  when  the 
pickets  were  fired  on  and  the  trumpet 
sounded.  After  saddling  we  moved  out, 


272        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

apparently  going  to  some  other  locality;  but 
after  traveling  a  few  miles,  we  turned  back, 
and  at  9  P.  M.  camped  at  the  same  place. 

The  next  day  Company  E  went  on  picket, 
and  on  June  8  went  to  Darrow  Creek  to  do 
picket  duty  with  the  Third  New  Jersey, 
where  we  remained  until  the  loth.  At  dark 
the  picket  was  fired  on.  We  turned  out  and 
lay  in  line  all  night,  and  on  the  nth  the  Sec- 
ond Ohio  made  a  reconnaissance,  assaulting  a 
heavy  force,  apparently  General  Lee's  right 
wing,  then  confronting  General  Grant's  left. 

After  returning  to  camp  we  rested  until 
9  P.  M.  on  the  i2th,  and  then  moved  to- 
ward Harrison's  Landing.  It  was  a  dark 
night,  and  it  was  not  long  until  the  experi- 
enced soldier  pronounced  the  commander  in- 
capable of  moving  a  division.  There  were 
strict  orders  that  no  one  should  fall  out  of 
the  ranks,  not  even  to  swing  to  one  side  to 
tighten  up  the  girth.  When  the  column  was 
standing  still  the  Second  Ohio  boys  said  they 
did  not  wonder  the  cavalry  in  that  army  was 
no  good.  "  We  will  soon  be  no  good,  either, 
if  we  are  to  be  domineered  over  in  this  way," 
they  said. 

Staff  officers  were  riding  back  and  forth, 
busying  themselves  with  small  details,  pre- 
venting the  very  things  that  must  be  done  to 
make  the  trooper  efficient  and  ready  for  any 
emergency. 

On  the  1 3th  the  division  crossed  the  Chick- 
ahominy,  lay  in  line  all  night,  then  marched 


F.  F.  RKXFORD 

Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING  272 


Fortunes  and  Misfortunes  of  War    273 

until  2  P.  Mv  and  went  into  camp.  On  the 
i4th  we  marched  at  6  A.  M.  to  Charles  City 
Court  House,  and  camped  for  dinner,  after 
which  we  took  the  back  track,  met  a  scouting 
party,  and  a  short  skirmish  ensued  at  St. 
Mary's  Church. 

On  the  next  morning  the  division  marched 
at  seven  o'clock,  traveled  a  short  distance, 
when  the  advance  met  the  enemy,  the  Second 
Ohio  being  ordered  to  the  front,  and  by  orders 
from  headquarters  held  at  long  range  and  in 
the  woods  and  brush,  with  the  exception  of 
our  battalion,  which  chanced  to  form  in  an 
open  field.  The  enemy,  being  behind  a  row 
of  fallen  timber,  had  a  superior  advantage, 
and  had  we  not  kept  up  a  continual  firing  that 
kept  them  down  and  obscured  us  in  a  cloud 
of  smoke  we  would  have  been  a  splendid  tar- 
get for  them.  Our  loss  was  comparatively 
few.  Company  E  lost  one  man  and  three  or 
four  horses. 

We  finally  withdrew,  and  built  a  temporary 
works,  and  named  it  for  the  officer  in  charge 
of  construction,  Captain  Pike.  It  was  com- 
pleted on  the  1 6th,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark 
in  the  evening  we  moved  out,  and  at  two 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  lyth  struck 
camp  for  a  short  rest,  then  resumed  the  march 
later  in  the  day  and  camped  four  miles  from 
Petersburg.  We  resumed  the  march  in  the 
morning  and  camped  at  Prince  George  Court 
House,  where  we  remained  for  a  short  rest 
preparatory  to  the  raid  into  southern  Virginia. 


274        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  division  moved  behind  General 
Grant's  line  on  June  6  for  a  rest  in  order  to 
be  in  good  condition  for  the  raid,  but  the  want 
of  a  little  experience  and  courage  at  head- 
quarters, and  the  firing  on  the  pickets  by  a  few 
irregulars  that  were  attempting  to  get  sup- 
plies and  mount  themselves,  kept  us  in  the 
saddle  or  on  the  aimless  march  until  the  i6th. 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE  WILSON  RAID 

BEFORE   daylight   on   the   morning  of 
June  azd,  the  command,  under  Major- 
General  J.  H.  Wilson,  moved  out  on 
the  memorable  raid  that  proved  so  dis- 
astrous to  friend  and  foe,  and  no  conclusion 
has  yet  been  reached  as  to  who  suffered  the 
greater  loss. 

The  troops  consisted  of  three  brigades  with 
four  regiments  and  one  battery  of  artillery 
each,  comprising  the  Third  Division  and  one 
brigade  of  the  Second  Division  of  four  regi- 
ments, and  one  battery  under  the  command  of 
General  A.  V.  Kautz. 

Kautz's  brigade  moved  out  in  advance, 
struck  the  left  flank  of  Lee's  army  at  Ream's 
Station,  and  went  through  in  column.  There 
was  more  or  less  firing  that  appeared  to  cause 
consternation  at  division  headquarters.  The 
staff,  of  which  there  appeared  to  be  a  super- 
abundance, were  charging  back  and  forth 
shouting  unessential  orders,  with  raving 
enough  to  create  a  panic  in  the  coolest  and 
bravest  ranks.  When  the  column  moved  they 
would  shout,  "Close  up,  close  up!"  thus 
keeping  the  column  in  a  cramped  position 
until  General  Kautz  was  several  miles  beyond 

275 


276        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

the  enemy's  line.  The  want  of  experience 
amongst  the  staff  also  caused  a  breach  of  dis- 
cipline. The  Second  did  not  care  to  be  sub- 
jected to  foolish  orders  from  officers  who  did 
not  know  their  business,  and  began  hooting  at 
them  as  they  rode  back  and  forth. 

The  commissary  stores  at  Ream's  Station 
were  set  on  fire,  and  some  of  the  men  under- 
took to  carry  a  ham  with  them,  but  they  were 
ordered  to  leave  it,  and  the  adjutant-general, 
a  near-sighted  man  who  wore  glasses,  took  a 
position  by  a  gate-post  to  detect  those  who  at- 
tempted to  carry  anything  with  them.  When 
the  Second  was  passing,  someone  who  saw 
him  make  a  soldier  throw  down  a  ham  called 
out,  "  Here's  the  man  that's  got  the  ham;  it  is 
on  the  other  side  of  the  saddle."  This  cry  was 
kept  up  until  he  rode  away,  and  complaint 
was  made  to  the  officers  of  the  Second  about 
the  want  of  respect  to  superiors;  but  they 
were  given  to  understand  that  they  were  not 
even  equals,  and  if  the  officers  would  mind 
their  own  business  and  not  interfere  with  the 
Second  they  need  have  no  trouble  with  them. 

By  the  time  these  officers  learned  that 
Kautz  was  out  of  sight  they  were  frightened, 
and  rush  orders  were  flying,  and  they  would 
gallop  up  with  a  jam  that  would  necessarily 
cripple  man  and  horse,  and  it  was  evident  that 
incompetency  would  necessarily  defeat  the 
command  even  if  it  had  no  greater  enemy  to 
confront. 

Little  of  this  work  was  done  by  us,  and  we 


The  Wilson  Raid  277 

paid  no  more  attention  to  the  orders.  We  took 
a  steady  gait,  and  the  men  would  shout  to  the 
staff  as  they  galloped  by,  "  You  had  better 
save  your  horse;  you  will  need  him  before 
you  get  back." 

Before  June  30  they  realized  the  truth  of 
this  advice.  When  we  reached  Lynchburg 
railroad,  the  Third  Brigade  was  assigned  to 
the  duty  of  protecting  the  rear,  and  the  de- 
struction of  the  road  was  assigned  to  other 
troops,  but  their  progress  was  slow.  As  no 
enemy  had  appeared,  we  were  brought  up  to 
assist. 

We  received  positive  orders  from  the  staff 
as  to  how  the  work  should  be  done,  but  it  was 
evident  that  they  had  no  experience  in  that 
line.  They  had  adopted  the  same  way  that  all 
new  beginners  do,  and  in  which  we  had  taken 
our  first  lessons  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 
We  carried  out  orders  for  a  short  time,  but  it 
was  too  tedious,  and  was  soon  abandoned  for  a 
more  expeditious  method.  We  made  such  fine 
headway  that  our  method  was  adopted  by 
the  other  troops,  and  the  work  of  destruction 
was  soon  completed. 

While  the  work  was  going  on  a  few  shots 
were  fired  between  the  pickets  and  the  enemy, 
which  caused  some  commotion.  I  was  or- 
dered to  go  to  the  horses  and  have  them  moved 
near  the  regiment  at  work.  After  delivering 
the  order,  on  my  return,  as  I  was  passing  the 
horses  of  another  brigade,  an  officer  who 
charged  up  also  for  the  purpose  of  having 


278        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

them  moved  near  the  men,  gave  the  order, 
"Fours  right!"  The  first  set  of  fours  was 
being  held  by  a  boy,  and  the  led-horses 
swung  around  in  front  of  him,  and  the  officer 
drew  a  saber  and  began  striking  the  boy.  It 
was  nothing  more  than  might  have  happened 
to  anyone,  but,  more  than  likely,  if  the  officer 
had  given  the  order  in  a  cool  manner,  it  would 
not  have  occurred  in  that  particular  case. 
When  he  was  raising  his  saber  to  strike  the 
third  time,  I  called,  "  Haiti  "  and  put  my  gun 
in  a  threatening  position. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  he  said. 

"  If  you  strike  that  boy  again,  you  will  find 
out,"  was  the  reply. 

He  galloped  toward  headquarters,  mutter- 
ing something  about  finding  out  who  I  was. 
After  helping  the  boy  to  get  started  I  went 
back  to  work. 

On  the  24th  our  company  received  orders 
to  report  to  General  Kautz.  He  told  Lieu- 
tenant Newton  that  he  had  sent  one  regiment 
on  a  mission,  and  they  were  to  meet  the  col- 
umn at  a  specified  place,  but,  owing  to  the 
change  of  General  Wilson's  plan,  the  column 
would  not  go  to  that  place,  and  the  regiment 
must  be  notified  of  the  change.  General 
Kautz  had  selected  Lieutenant  Newton  to 
carry  out  the  plan,  and  had  borrowed  us  from 
General  Wilson. 

After  giving  the  Lieutenant  the  orders  and 
directions,  we  moved  out  to  put  them  in  oper- 
ation. We  saw  a  few  home  guards  and  a  small 


The  Wilson  Raid  279 

squad  of  Confederate  cavalry,  but  they  gave 
us  the  road  and  no  trouble. 

Without  accident  we  reached  the  desig- 
nated point,  but  the  regiment  had  not  arrived. 
By  inquiry  we  learned  that  they  were  within 
a  mile  of  us,  and  we  soon  found  them.  Our 
mission  performed,  we  went  into  camp,  fed, 
and  cooked  coffee,  fell  in  column  with  the 
regiment,  and  joined  the  command. 

We  marched,  or  at  least  were  on  the  road 
in  column,  all  night  of  the  24th,  and  at 
daylight  we  saw  a  country  store-keeper,  with 
the  assistance  of  some  blacks,  moving  his 
goods  into  the  woods  to  hide  them.  Some  of 
the  boys  relieved  them  of  what  firearms  they 
possessed.  We  camped  about  7  A.  M.  to 
get  rest  and  breakfast.  After  breakfast  I  was 
ordered  to  take  two  men,  leave  the  main  road, 
take  all  the  horses  we  could  find  to  replace 
the  artillery  horses  that  had  given  out,  and 
join  the  column  at  Clover,  about  twenty-five 
miles  in  advance. 

Math  Park  and  John  Will  Reed  volun- 
teered to  go  with  me.  We  left  the  main  road 
at  once,  and  were  soon  in  close  proximity  to 
the  advance  of  the  enemy's  cavalry. 

We  passed  ourselves  for  W.  H.  F.  Lee's 
scouts,  and  by  that  means  were  enabled  to  get 
information  freely.  The  people  had  hidden 
their  valuables,  and  run  their  stock  several 
miles  from  the  main  road,  as  they  were  all 
advised  of  the  approach  of  the  Yanks.  It  is 
useless  to  say  we  got  the  best  there  was  to  eat 


280       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

and  drink.  We  learned  where  the  stock  was 
and  it  was  freely  offered,  but  as  we  were  sail- 
ing under  a  false  flag  we  knew  we  would  be 
detected  before  we  could  get  them,  as  the 
home  guards  were  near  by.  We  concluded 
to  go  to  another  place  about  ten  miles  away, 
where  our  chance  would  be  better. 

After  traveling  five  or  six  miles  we  met  a 
man  from  Roanoke,  and  we  inquired  if  there 
had  been  any  Yanks  there.  He  said  no,  but 
he  had  heard  that  there  had  been  some  near. 
It  was  apparent  that  there  was  something 
wrong,  for  the  original  plan  was  not  being 
carried  out. 

We  had  left  the  column  only  six  miles  from 
Roanoke,  on  the  direct  road  to  Clover. 
After  making  inquiry  we  learned  that  we  were 
now  only  two  miles  from  Roanoke  and  five 
miles  off  the  main  road.  By  the  route  we 
would  have  to  travel  it  was  evident  that  we 
must  either  go  to  Clover  or  return  to  the 
Roanoke  road.  We  kept  on  asking  questions, 
and  learned  that  there  were  many  home 
guards  and  a  regiment  of  regular  troops  at 
Clover,  and  some  at  Roanoke,  and  several 
horses  hid  out  near  the  village  of  Bonsacks. 

After  getting  the  news,  we  rode  away,  tak- 
ing the  Bonsacks  road.  We  decided  to  aban- 
don the  horse  hunt,  and  when  within  a  mile  of 
the  village  of  Giffraff  we  saw  a  schoolhouse  or 
country  church  with  an  open  yard  full  of 
tents,  and  we  could  not  tell  whether  there 
were  any  troops  there  or  not.  We  de- 


The  Wilson  Raid  281 

cided  to  put  our  horses  at  full  speed  and  dash 
by,  but  before  we  had  checked  their  speed  a 
guard  posted  over  a  low  hill  in  front  of  us 
fired  and  fled  toward  the  village,  and  we  after 
him.  He  had  a  start  of  us  and  he  kept  it.  He 
was  leaving  town  when  we  entered  it,  and  the 
rest  of  his  companions  were  following  his  ex- 
ample. Some  went  across  fields  and  orchards, 
and  some  horses  broke  loose  and  ran  away 
riderless. 

Once  in  full  possession  of  the  town,  we 
began  to  inquire  about  the  Yankees,  but  no 
one  knew  anything  except  that  they  had  been 
expecting  them  all  day,  and  that  the  home 
guards  had  been  there,  but  had  just  left  a  few 
moments  before  we  arrived.  We  did  not  con- 
sider it  worth  while  to  dismount,  for  the  home 
guards  might  come  back  for  their  hats,  and 
there  would  be  an  unpleasant  meeting.  We 
started  out  to  hunt  the  command,  and  at  the 
edge  of  the  village  one  of  the  boys  said,  "  This 
is  the  place  where  the  horses  are."  '  . 

We  turned  in,  and  found  a  servant,  but  he 
could  not  show  us  the  horses.  One  of  the  boys 
produced  the  customary  argument  used  on 
such  occasions,  and  he  went  into  the  stables 
for  the  halters.  The  horses  were  a  mile  or 
more  back  in  the  woods,  and,  as  it  was  now 
late  in  the  afternoon,  it  was  time  to  be  look- 
ing for  the  command.  We  left  at  once,  aban- 
doning the  horse  hunt,  and  traveled  about  a 
mile,  and  met  the  advance-guard  of  the  Fifth 
New  York.  We  turned  back  with  them. 


282        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

After  reporting,  we  received  no  more 
orders.  We  went  to  a  house  and  got  our  sup- 
pers. By  the  time  we  returned  to  the  street 
the  command  was  looting  the  storehouses  of 
the  Confederacy. 

A  part  of  the  column  was  on  the  move  down 
the  river.  We  took  the  same  road  with  the 
column.  We  discussed  the  dilemma  we 
would  have  been  in  if  we  had  followed  our 
instructions. 

We  soon  came  to  the  railroad  crossing  at 
the  end  of  the  Roanoke  bridge.  Kautz's  bri- 
gade had  formed  in  line,  and  the  battery  was 
throwing  shells  into  the  village  across  the 
river.  The  artillerymen  wondered  why  they 
did  not  turn  the  force  loose  to  destroy  the 
bridge. 

We  turned  off  from  the  main  road,  and  just 
at  sundown  stopped  at  a  house  and  inquired 
for  horses.  They  told  us  the  horses  had  been 
driven  away,  but  there  was  a  mule  at  the  barn, 
a  half  mile  below.  The  boys  did  not  think 
it  worth  while  to  bother  with  a  mule,  and  I 
told  them  I  would  go  down  and  see  if  it  was 
any  good. 

As  I  had  no  revolver  then,  I  borrowed 
Park's.  I  went  to  the  barn  and  found  nothing 
there.  I  returned  to  the  house  to  find  my  com- 
panion gone. 

It  was  getting  dark,  and  I  took  the  back 
track  to  the  main  road,  and  was  now  in  the 
rear  of  the  column.  I  did  not  catch  up  until 
late  in  the  night.  We  went  into  camp  about 


The  Wilson  Raid  283 

three  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  remained 
until  eight. 

Park  and  Reed  did  not  report,  and  I  was 
not  well  satisfied  with  the  previous  day's  work. 
The  Lieutenant  was  in  the  same  frame  of 
mind,  for  he  said,  "  Cause,  you  will  remain 
with  the  company  to-day." 

At  the  same  time  he  called  for  volunteers 
to  go  in  search  of  a  vehicle  to  haul  Sergeant 
Weeks,  who  was  not  able  to  ride.  The  column 
moved  out,  and  the  party  that  went  to  find  a 
vehicle  were  soon  driven  in  by  the  enemy,  and 
the  project  was  abandoned. 

About  ii  A.  M.  I  took  some  canteens 
to  fill  with  water  at  a  spring  about  three  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  road,  a  common  custom, 
and  met  Ralph  Miller  of  our  company.  We 
rode  away  together,  and  before  we  arrived  at 
the  road  we  came  up  with  Corporal  Sherman, 
who  was  taking  care  of  Sergeant  Weeks.  We 
told  them  of  the  failure  to  get  a  vehicle,  and 
Weeks  thought  he  could  not  ride  another  day. 
We  rode  on,  and  talked  the  situation  over. 
Miller  said  he  did  not  want  to  see  Weeks  left 
in  the  enemy's  country.  I  told  him  I  had  been 
ordered  to  stay  with  the  company,  but  we 
could  remain  behind,  and  if  we  got  a  vehicle 
they  would  overlook  everything,  and  if  we 
failed  they  would  know  nothing  about  it. 

The  first  by-road  we  came  to  we  turned  out, 
and  learned  that  there  were  two  carriages 
standing  in  the  woods  about  a  mile  from  there. 
We  soon  found  what  we  were  in  search  of, 


284        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

with  harness  all  in  good  order.  We  stripped 
off  the  saddles,  threw  them  in  the  box,  re- 
placed the  saddles  with  silver-mounted  har- 
ness, mounted  the  box,  and  drove  out  in  fine 
style.  When  we  drove  into  the  main  road, 
the  rear-guard  had  passed  and  were  out  of 
sight,  and  the  enemy's  advance  was  in  sight 
behind  us. 

We  drove  at  full  speed,  and  were  soon  in- 
side our  lines.  We  were  halted  by  the  provost 
guard.  They  wanted  us  to  haul  a  sick  soldier 
and  a  refugee.  We  insisted  that  we  had  the 
carriage  for  a  special  purpose,  and  attempted 
to  drive  on;  but  a  guard  was  placed  in  front 
of  the  team,  and  we  were  obliged  to  wait. 
They  brought  the  refugee  and  said  the  soldier 
was  dead.  We  drove  rapidly  with  a  guard 
over  us,  and  turned  out  to  pass  the  train  and 
artillery  that  occupied  the  road.  Driving 
through  the  woods  the  hub  struck  the  trees, 
and  limbs  pulled  the  lamps  off  and  tore  the 
top ;  but  we  kept  on  over  rail  fences  that  had 
been  partly  thrown  down  by  the  cavalry,  not 
checking  until  we  were  in  the  road  in  front 
of  the  trains.  A  large  number  of  sick  men 
appeared  all  at  once.  The  train  was  full,  and 
the  wagons  were  pressed  wherever  they  could 
be  found.  The  first  one  we  picked  up  was 
Noble  Thorn  of  our  company,  who  was  sitting 
by  the  roadside.  We  had  not  driven  far  un- 
til we  found  Lanterman,  also  of  our  company. 
Miller  took  his  horse,  and  left  us  to  join  the 
company. 


The  Wilson  Raid  285 

We  had  many  applicants  for  the  remaining 
vacant  seats.  Some  of  the  applicants  were  of- 
ficers, but  we  had  procured  the  carriage  at  our 
own  risk  for  the  express  purpose  of  conveying 
Weeks  to  a  safe  place  in  our  lines,  and  we 
were  determined  to  reserve  room  for  him  if 
possible.  It  was  dark  when  the  command 
went  into  camp.  Miller  had  reported  to  the 
company,  and  notified  them  that  I  was  in  the 
train  with  a  carriage.  A  search  was  instigated 
for  Weeks,  whom  they  found  and  brought 
along  with  another  sick  man  to  be  cared  for 
and  hauled.  The  seats  were  now  all  occupied 
by  sick  from  our  company,  and  I  told  the 
refugees  to  find  another  place  to  ride. 

In  the  morning  Lieutenant  Newton  came  to 
see  us,  and  brought  a  man  to  get  supplies  for 
the  men  and  horses.  With  a  pretty  good 
breakfast,  and  feed  for  the  horses,  we  were  in 
good  shape,  with  the  exception  of  the  lack 
of  confidence  that  prevailed  throughout  the 
whole  command. 

We  moved  along  until  noon,  and  our  attend- 
ant had  failed  to  get  anything  but  water  for 
us.  We  were  now  in  a  locality  where  there 
was  nothing  to  get  in  the  way  of  supplies,  the 
country  having  been  stripped  by  Lee's  army. 
The  column  came  to  a  halt.  The  advance  had 
confronted  the  enemy  in  force  at  Stony  Creek, 
and  at  three  o'clock  the  sound  of  battle  indi- 
cated that  the  contest  was  no  ordinary  skir- 
mish, but  a  battle  in  which  victory  or  defeat 
must  be  the  verdict,  with  odds  against  us. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

GENERAL   KAUTZ   IN   HIS   ELEMENT 

WITH  the  enemy  in  front  and  rear,  a 
challenge  of  this  character  could 
scarcely  result  otherwise.  We,  as 
intruders,  and  already  encumbered 
with  such  disabilities  as  sick,  wounded,  and 
spoils,  with  three  thousand  black  refugees,  en- 
cumbered with  their  baggage,  could  now  only 
hope  to  protect  ourselves  and  make  our  escape. 
The  challenge  was  accepted  after  due  delib- 
eration. The  commander  had  held  a  council 
with  the  field  officers,  and  it  was  said  that 
General  Kautz  advised  that  the  enemy's  line 
could  be  successfully  severed  there  by  form- 
ing one  regiment  of  light  cavalry  in  front  to 
charge  in  column  to  open  a  gap,  and  followed 
by  those  armed  with  magazine  guns  to  widen 
it,  and  thus  make  room  for  the  trains.  But  the 
commander  chose  open  battle,  and  arrayed  his 
force  in  line,  leaving  the  non-combatants  to 
take  care  of  themselves.  The  train  was  to 
move  in  the  rear  of  the  line  of  battle  in  the 
woods,  exposed  to  the  enemy's  artillery,  which 
kept  up  a  constant  fire. 

It  was  dark  by  the  time  we  entered  the 
woods,  and  the  progress  was  very  slow,  owing 
to  the  jam  from  thousands  of  men  and  animals 

286 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element      287 

rushing  to  a  safe  retreat.  The  roadside  was 
lined  with  wounded  men  and  officers,  pleading 
for  a  place  to  ride.  Among  them  we  heard  a 
familiar  voice,  and  I  inquired,  "  Is  that  you, 
Captain  Pike?"  "  Yes,  I  am  wounded,"  he 
said.  We  stopped  and  took  him  on  the  box 
by  me.  This  stopped  the  train  behind  us,  for 
the  road  was  so  narrow  that  teams  could  not 
pass.  Everyone  in  reach  was  furious  at  the 
delay.  The  crash  of  timber,  as  the  shells  ex- 
ploded, and  the  yells  of  distress  were  deafen- 
ing. As  soon  as  he  was  seated  we  hastened  to 
close  up  the  gap  caused  by  our  halt,  and  just 
as  the  horses  were  checking  their  speed  the 
pack-animals  crowded  them  from  the  road. 
One  wheel  struck  a  stump  and  broke  a  hame 
and  one  horse  went  out  of  the  harness.  I 
jumped  down,  and  by  guiding  the  pole,  was 
able  to  pull  the  carriage  from  the  road  with 
one  horse.  I  told  some  of  them  to  bring  my 
belt  that  lay  in  the  bottom  of  the  carriage,  to 
fix  the  harness  with,  but  Weeks  said  no  one 
was  there  but  him  and  that  Lanterman  had 
taken  the  belt  and  revolver  that  lay  in  the  cab. 
He  also  said  he  thought  he  could  ride  a  horse 
now,  as  he  felt  a  little  better. 

Taking  all  things  into  consideration,  we 
concluded  to  abandon  the  vehicle,  and  I  sad- 
dled the  horses.  Weeks  mounted  Miller's 
horse,  and  we  set  out  to  follow  the  crowd  that 
was  still  rushing  frantically  by,  but  we  soon 
pulled  to  one  side,  and  Weeks  lay  down  until 
they  passed.  We  then  fell  in  the  rear  of  them. 


288        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

General  Kautz,  in  the  meantime,  had  been 
detached,  and  by  a  flank  movement  had  en- 
countered the  enemy  at  Ream's  Station. 

It  was  in  the  rear  of  this  small  force  that 
the  fleeing  non-combatants  were  rendezvous- 
ing. We  went  into  a  strip  of  open  woods 
where  General  Kautz  had  established  the  hos- 
pital and  they  were  already  carrying  the 
wounded.  It  was  perhaps  10  o'clock  A.  M. 
when  we  dismounted.  We  had  not  tasted  a 
drop  of  coffee  or  eaten  a  mouthful  since  break- 
fast the  day  before.  Weeks  being  sick  did  not, 
perhaps,  feel  the  need  of  it  as  much  as  I,  for 
he  said  he  could  not  eat  if  we  had  anything. 

I  began  to  cast  about,  and  the  first  men  I 
approached  upon  the  subject  told  me  they 
were  all  out  of  supplies  long  ago,  and  were 
almost  famished,  from  the  fact  that  their  of- 
ficers did  not  allow  them  to  forage. 

General  Kautz  had  his  headquarters  in  open 
ground  with  the  artillery  in  position  near  by. 
The  battle  line  was  in  front  of  it,  perhaps  a 
mile,  and  parallel  with  the  railroad,  in  front 
of  Ream's  Station.  The  enemy's  line  was  also 
visible,  and  there  was  a  constant  firing  from 
end  to  end  of  the  line.  The  number  of 
wounded  that  were  brought  back  told  of  its 
effective  work. 

We  knew  there  were  plenty  of  provisions 
with  the  Second  Ohio,  but  we  did  not  know 
where  they  were,  and  we  felt  homesick,  and 
vowed  we  would  never  leave  Company  E 
again  as  long  as  we  were  able  to  stick  to  a 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element       289 

horse.  Time  dragged  slowly,  but  at  length  the 
train  appeared  in  sight  and  filed  into  the 
woods,  and  began  to  unload  the  sick  and 
wounded,  a  half  mile  in  rear  of  Kautz's  hos- 
pital. 

Weeks  said  they  were  preparing  to  abandon 
them.  My  reply  was  that  it  looked  like  offer- 
ing our  brothers  for  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of 
incompetency.  The  refugees  also  poured  in, 
and  occupied  the  swampy  ground  opposite  the 
hospital,  but  no  cavalry  made  their  appear- 
ance for  some  time. 

General  Kautz  frequently  rode  into  the 
woods  to  look  at  the  wounded.  It  was  easy 
to  see  how  delay  preyed  on  his  mind,  as  it  was 
slowly  but  surely  thinning  his  faithful  ranks, 
but  he  made  no  demonstration  and  spoke  not  a 
word.  The  constant  pacing  back  and  forth,  the 
pallor  that  overspread  his  countenance,  told 
the  experienced  soldier  of  the  pent-up  feeling 
that  was  imprisoned  there.  He  knew  that  ev- 
ery life  laid  down,  every  wound  inflicted  must 
be  placed  at  the  door  of  incompetence,  and 
there  was  none  to  appreciate  it  more  fully  than 
he.  He  kept  close  watch  of  the  road  where 
the  head  of  Wilson's  column  must  appear.  At 
last  they  emerged  and  turned  to  the  left,  and 
to  our  great  joy  it  was  the  Second  Ohio  and 
Fifth  New  York,  and  the  direction  they  went 
caused  us  to  think  they  were  going  to  strike 
the  enemy  at  Kautz's  left  and  open  up  the 
gap  and  go  through.  They  formed  in  line  on 
a  low  ridge  between  the  two  strips  of  wood. 


290        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

Weeks  was  very  weak,  and  I  had  to  wait  for 
him,  but  we  joined  the  company  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  learned  that  they  were  tied  down 
by  a  tyrannical  order  to  remain  there  mounted, 
until  further  orders  from  Wilson. 

General  Kautz  communicated  with  Colonel 
Purrington.  There  was  but  one  conclusion  to 
be  drawn  from  the  surroundings,  and  the  only 
consolation  was  that  those  who  were  able  to 
run  the  gauntlet  would  escape  capture. 

I  went  to  my  bunky  for  something  to  eat. 
He  gave  me  some  hard  tack  and  a  small  piece 
of  raw  ham. 

The  wagons  were  set  on  fire  by  order  of 
General  Wilson,  and  the  explosion  of  ammu- 
nition, the  smoke  and  fire  caused  a  panic 
among  the  non-combatants,  and  principally 
the  refugees. 

Our  anxiety  began  to  increase,  and  every  eye 
was  turned  to  the  road  where  Wilson  should 
appear  at  any  moment. 

Time  passed  as  slowly  as  if  Joshua  was  on 
the  field  of  battle  and  had  commanded  the  sun 
to  stand  still,  and  his  command  had  been 
obeyed.  It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the 
enemy  had  completed  their  plans,  and  were 
rapidly  closing  in  on  us  from  three  different 
directions.  A  line  of  infantry  was  advancing 
on  our  right  and  one  in  the  rear,  and  the  cav- 
alry that  had  followed  us  from  Stony  Creek 
were  charging  in  on  the  road  where  Wilson 
should  have  come.  They  used  their  revolvers 
freely  on  the  refugees,  and  the  infantry  made 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element      291 

short  work  of  the  hospital,  completely  an- 
nihilating it.  The  fire  was  then  all  directed 
on  us,  the  leaden  hail  coming  from  three  di- 
rections. Kautz  turned  his  battery  on  them 
and  did  some  excellent  work,  but  it  could  not 
check  the  advance,  which  was  slow  and  steady. 

We  broke  and  fled,  leaving  dead  and 
wounded.  The  heavy  line  behind  us  com- 
pelled us  to  seek  shelter,  which  could  only  be 
done  by  passing  far  enough  in  front  of  the 
battery  so  that  we  could  pass  under  the  storm 
of  shell.  We  then  turned  to  the  left,  dashed 
into  the  swamp,  and  came  out  near  Kautz's 
battery. 

We  halted  near  General  Kautz's  headquar- 
ters, and  found  him  in  his  element.  He  was  a 
changed  man  from  the  last  time  we  had  seen 
him.  Instead  of  the  marble  pallor,  a  radiant 
glow  was  on  his  face.  He  was  active,  and  his 
voice  rang  clear  as  he  gave  orders  to  the  cap- 
tain of  the  battery  to  use  grape  until  the  last 
spoke  was  cut  off,  spike  the  guns,  mount  the 
horses,  and  follow  the  column.  There  was 
something  in  the  last  part  of  the  order  that 
reassured  every  true  soldier.  There  was  still 
hope.  Apparently  he  had  not  noticed  us  un- 
til now.  A  smile  played  over  his  face  when 
he  turned  to  look  at  a  mob  of  several  hundred 
men,  among  whom  there  were  captains, 
majors,  and  lieutenant-colonels.  He  shook 
hands  with  some  of  the  officers  of  the  Second 
Ohio,  and  when  the  last  gun  had  been  cut 
down  and  spiked  he  said,  "  Lieutenant  New- 


292        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

ton,  take  the  advance  and  go  that  course," 
pointing  at  the  same  time  in  the  direction  to 
the  right  of  his  line,  "  and  cross  the  railroad 
about  two  miles  from  the  station,  and  when 
you  get  to  the  second  road,  turn  to  the  left  and 
join  my  column  on  the  main  road.  The  Sec- 
ond Ohio  men  and  Fifth  New  York  men 
follow  Lieutenant  Newton,  and  ride  down 
everything  you  come  in  contact  with." 

He  then  gave  some  directions  about  mount- 
ing his  men,  and  we  were  on  the  move  in  an 
unorganized  condition. 

A  narrow  neck  of  timber  extended  out  in 
front  of  us,  and  as  we  passed  through  it  we 
discovered  the  enemy  in  front,  lined  up  by 
a  ditch.  The  Lieutenant  ordered  a  charge, 
and  everyone  went.  It  was  a  tumult  that  men 
cannot  successfully  withstand  on  open  ground. 
When  they  gave  way  it  gave  us  the  advantage. 
The  men  on  the  outside  were  keeping  up  a  reg- 
ular fire  that  held  them  at  bay  or  running  for 
shelter.  There  was  no  halt  in  the  speed  for 
ditches,  fences,  and  thickets,  all  of  which  had 
more  or  less  of  the  enemy  by  them.  At  one 
place  we  came  to  a  road  with  high  fence  on  the 
side  next  to  us,  and  a  line  of  infantry  standing 
in  the  road  facing  us;  but  they  were  no  ob- 
stacle in  our  way.  The  fence  went  down  as  if 
by  magic,  and  the  enemy  ran  to  right  and  left. 

It  was  the  same  thing  at  every  ditch  we 
came  to.  The  enemy  suffered  severely  at 
every  turn.  There  is  something  about  a  charge 
of  this  kind  perhaps  not  easily  understood  by 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element       293 

those  that  have  not  witnessed  it.  There  was  a 
seething  mass  of  men  and  horses  rushing  on 
like  an  avalanche,  with  a  constant  fusillade 
from  its  borders  that  must  sweep  everything  in 
front  of  it.  The  bravest  men  cannot  withstand 
it,  for  the  advance  cannot  check  it  if  they 
wish  to,  and  those  who  fall  in  front  of  it  are 
most  surely  doomed;  yet  it  is  possible  for  a 
miraculous  escape.  We  had  one  man  who  fell 
with  his  horse  into  a  ditch,  and,  after  being 
run  over  by  the  cavalcade,  was  able  to  walk 
into  our  lines.  Many  others  never  rose  again. 
Few  men  can  understand  the  demoralizing  ef- 
fects of  such  a  charge,  and  had  General  Wil- 
son understood  it  as  well  as  Sheridan,  Custer, 
and  Kautz,  he  would  have  passed  the  enemy 
at  Stony  Creek,  and  would  not  have  accepted 
his  doom  at  Ream's  Station. 

We  encountered  the  enemy  at  least  a  half 
dozen  times  after  leaving  General  Kautz,  and 
before  reaching  the  designated  road.  When 
we  did  reach  it  Lieutenant  Newton  turned  into 
it,  and  he  gave  orders  for  the  men  to  fall  into 
columns  of  fours,  without  regard  to  rank,  regi- 
ment, or  company.  Up  to  this  time  I  had 
managed  to  keep  close  to  Lieutenant  Newton, 
as  I  had  heard  every  word  of  General  Kautz's 
instructions,  and  made  up  my  mind  if  the 
Lieutenant  fell  I  would  not  be  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do. 

Now  I  could  do  a  little  hustling  for  my- 
self, as  we  thought  we  were  out  of  the  enemy's 
line.  When  we  joined  the  company  a  few 


294       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

hours  before,  my  partner,  who  had  plenty  of 
ham  and  hard  tack,  gave  me  one  hard  tack 
and  a  little  piece  of  ham  with  the  promise  to 
give  me  more  after  a  while.  He  said  I  had 
better  not  eat  much  at  first,  and  now  I  reined 
to  one  side  of  the  road  and  waited  for  him 
to  come  along.  Most  of  our  company  had 
done  like  myself,  and  were  now  in  the  advance 
of  the  column.  We  were  near  enough  to  the 
station  to  see  the  top  of  the  building.  A 
swamp  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road 
from  where  I  had  halted,  and  behind  was  a 
pasture  covered  with  small  pines. 

Suddenly  the  warning  "  Halt!  "  came  from 
hundreds  of  voices  in  the  pasture.  The  Lieu- 
tenant checked  to  see  whom  it  came  from, 
when  an  officer  in  gray  uniform  rode  in  an 
open  spot  and  demanded  surrender,  but  two 
shots,  one  from  Woodruffs  and  one  from 
Miller's  gun,  brought  him  from  the  horse. 
With  the  cry,  "  They  are  rebs,"  as  they  rose 
to  fire,  we  went  in  a  body  into  the  swamp, 
where  we  floundered  about  for  a  hundred 
yards,  now  in  water  side  deep  to  the  horse, 
again  on  tussocks,  and  down  into  the  water 
again,  with  bullets  spatting  against  the  trees, 
making  a  horrible  din. 

The  swamp  did  not  extend  far,  and  only 
the  advance  was  compelled  to  take  to  the 
water.  The  others  crossed  the  road,  and  were 
fast  disappearing  through  the  woods  when  we 
got  on  solid  land,  and  what  had  been  the  ad- 
vance was  now  in  the  rear. 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element       295 

This  was  a  magical  change  of  front,  and 
with  all  the  misery  or  danger  it  was  laughable, 
as  I  am  bound  to  testify,  not  only  from  my  own 
feelings,  but  we  noticed  several  others  who 
actually  laughed  outright  as  we  wheeled  into 
the  trail  strewn  with  guns,  revolvers,  hams, 
sacks  of  corn,  coats,  blankets,  etc.  I  was  going 
to  pick  up  a  ham,  but  when  I  thought  of  the 
poor  horse  that  would  have  to  carry  it  with 
nothing  for  him  to  eat,  I  left  it,  and  took  a 
sack  with  about  thirty  pounds  of  corn,  and  tied 
it  on  the  saddle. 

The  first  road  we  came  to  ran  around  a  farm 
with  a  short  curve  at  the  point  where  we  inter- 
cepted it.  At  every  cross-road  we  met  picket 
posts,  but  the  few  shots  they  fired  made  no 
impression  on  our  advance,  and  some  of  them 
were  shot  down  as  we  ran  by. 

After  making  several  turns,  and  with  the 
speed  checked  a  little,  between  sundown  and 
dark  we  spied  a  column  to  our  left,  on  a  road 
running  almost  parallel  with  the  one  on  which 
we  were  traveling.  This  created  a  little  panic 
at  first.  They  were  moving  at  a  rapid  walk, 
a  gait  that  can  be  maintained  by  but  few.  The 
Second  boys  recognized  our  former  leader  in 
the  gait,  and  said  that  we  should  not  run,  for 
it  was  Kautz's  column.  This  opinion  was  con- 
firmed when  we  got  close  enough  to  see  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  How  grand  they  looked  as 
their  successive  waves  moved  with  every  step 
of  the  horse,  with  none  in  advance  of  it  but 
General  Kautz!  He  moved  majestically  on, 


296        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

not  appearing  to  notice  us,  while  the  air  was 
rent  with  shouts  and  hurrahs  for  the  leader 
and  for  his  column  that  moved  in  as  good 
order  as  if  on  an  ordinary  march  in  a  peaceful 
country.  It  was  indeed  balm  to  the  Second 
Ohio,  who  for  the  first  time  had  become  a 
disorganized  mob. 

We  moved  on  until  we  arrived  at  the 
Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  and  turned  toward 
Petersburg.  On  the  morning  of  July  i,  about 
two  o'clock,  we  entered  our  lines.  As  soon 
as  we  passed  the  vidette  my  bunky  and  I 
reined  to  one  side,  tied  our  horses,  unsaddled, 
opened  the  sack  of  corn,  and  my  horse  got 
the  first  mouthful  he  had  had  for  forty-five 
hours.  We  had  had  no  sleep  for  the  same 
length  of  time,  and  stretched  out,  and  were 
awakened  after  sunrise  by  the  guards  who 
came  to  see  who  we  were.  We  saddled  up  and 
went  to  the  reserve  picket.  They  cooked 
breakfast,  but  my  appetite  having  entirely  left 
me,  I  was  unable  to  eat.  After  drinking  some 
coffee  we  mounted  and  went  in  search  of  the 
regiment. 

General  Sheridan,  having  adopted  the 
method  used  in  the  army  in  Tennessee,  the 
wagon-train  was  left  in  a  safe  place  near 
Lighthouse  Point,  where  we  joined  the  com- 
pany. The  camp  was  located  on  a  high  piece 
of  tableland,  with  our  company  camped  near 
the  bluff,  at  the  foot  of  which  there  was  a  nice 
grove. 

We  were   resting  on  the  Fourth  of  July 


General  Kautz  in  His  Element      297 

when  it  was  announced  that  Major-General 
Wilson  had  just  arrived  at  the  head  of  his 
cavalry  from  a  raid  in  southern  Virginia.  The 
victory  was  not  of  such  a  nature  as  to  elicit 
any  response  from  me,  but  the  most  of  the 
boys  turned  out  to  see  them  march  in. 

Hundreds  of  refugees  and  stragglers  who 
had  been  left  in  the  enemy's  line  from  various 
causes  were  arriving  every  hour  for  several 
days.  Among  them  were  three  from  our  com- 
pany. One  was  W.  L.  Moore,  whose  horse 
had  fallen  into  a  ditch  after  we  had  left  Kautz 
at  the  station.  The  horse  was  trampled  to 
death,  but  his  rider  by  some  means  escaped, 
and  with  the  enemy's  hurry  to  right  and  left 
he  escaped  them  all,  and  that  night,  while 
traveling  on  the  main  road  toward  Petersburg, 
the  enemy  crowded  him  so  close  that  he  took 
to  the  swamp  and  curled  up  on  a  tussock,  and 
heard  them  sounding  the  horns  they  had 
picked  up,  having  a  regular  jubilee  over  their 
victory.  The  two  others  were  J.  W.  Reed  and 
Math  Park.  The  squad  that  I  had  lost  sev- 
eral days  previous  was  also  mixed  up  with 
that  throng,  and  came  into  camp,  unarmed, 
afoot,  and  nearly  barefooted,  and  otherwise 
the  worse  from  their  rough  treatment.  They 
had  been  compelled  to  abandon  their  horses, 
owing  to  the  close  and  persistent  pursuit  of 
those  that  had  discovered  their  identity,  and 
they  had  lost  their  arms  in  crossing  a  river  in 
sight  of  the  enemy's  pickets  under  the  cover 
of  night. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

REORGANIZING    AND    HUSTLING 

ON  the  5th,   the  division  camp  being 
laid  out  by  the  engineers,  the  com- 
mand was  moved  to   it.     The   first 
thing  to   arrive  in   the  way  of  sup- 
plies was  an  order  that  all  non-commissioned 
officers  must  wear  their  chevrons,  and  to  em- 
phasize it,  the  yellow  stripes  were  delivered 
to  the  quartermaster-sergeant.     When   ranks 
were   broken,   the   dirty,   ragged,    and   bare- 
footed men  walked  out  to  the  tent  to  look  at 
the  beautiful  things,  and  they  remarked  that 
it  would  be  better  to  buy  shoes  and  under- 
clothes for  barefooted  and  naked  men  than 
decorate  them  with  those  stripes. 

The  regiment  being  detailed  for  picket 
duty  moved  out  on  the  yth,  taking  the  effec- 
tive men,  and  at  the  expiration  of  three  days 
returned  and  remained  for  six  days'  rest. 
During  this  stay  in  camp  the  order  announc- 
ing the  promotions,  amongst  them  that  of  your 
humble  servant,  was  announced — the  eighth 
corporal.  The  order  read  for  gallantry  in  ac- 
tion, June  i,  1864.  There  was  no  one  more 
surprised  than  the  recipient  of  this  distin- 
guished honor,  and  I  said,  "  And  must  I  wear 

298 


Reorganizing  and  Hustling          299 

those  beautiful  yellow  stripes?  "  As  it  did  not 
appear  reasonable  to  me  that  they  could  afford 
to  deck  a  fellow  out  that  way  for  riding  into 
the  enemy's  line  and  afterward  sneaking  away 
hatless,  no  coat,  and  only  one  boot,  I  declined 
the  rich  reward.  My  resignation  was  not  ac- 
cepted. Although  performing  the  duty,  I  did 
not  wear  the  yellow  stripes. 

The  regiment  then  took  another  three  days' 
turn  on  picket,  and  I  occupied  the  same  posi- 
tion as  before.  The  main  reserve  consisted 
of  the  company  camp,  each  company  keeping 
a  line  in  its  immediate  front.  E  Company, 
occupying  the  right,  was  situated  in  the  woods 
with  an  open  field  in  front,  with  thick  brush 
to  the  right,  through  which  a  ziz-zag  opening 
had  been  cut  to  form  a  line  of  works  that  ran 
for  miles  in  front  of  General  Lee's  line,  be- 
hind which  the  enemy  then  was. 

Post  No.  i  was  situated  one-half  mile  to 
the  right  of  the  reserve  and  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  the  left  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  and  fol- 
lowed the  line  of  works.  Our  vidette  line  was 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  long,  and  consisted 
of  thirteen  posts,  eight  of  which  were  dis- 
mounted when  on  duty.  Six  of  the  posts  could 
be  reached  by  following  paths  that  had 
previously  been  cleared  out  through  the  brush 
for  that  purpose. 

The  paths  had  been  used  a  great  deal  and 
were  perfectly  smooth.  There  were  some 
barefooted  men  that  volunteered  to  do  duty 
from  the  fact  that  the  company  was  much 


300        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

reduced  and  the  duty  very  heavy.  They  chose 
to  stand  dismounted  for  the  reason  that  they 
could  follow  the  paths  unobserved  by  the 
enemy  and  not  snag  their  feet. 

When  a  relief  was  called  out  each  one  went 
directly  to  his  post.  In  that  way  no  friction 
would  have  occurred  had  the  company  been 
numbered  so  as  to  be  even  with  the  number 
of  posts;  but  it  happened  otherwise,  and 
that  brought  trouble  on  my  head.  The  cor- 
poral in  charge  of  the  relief  would  go  with 
No.  i  and  then  follow  the  line  to  see  that  the 
men  had  all  been  properly  relieved,  and  re- 
port the  fact  to  the  sergeant.  The  uneven 
numbers  made  a  slight  change  in  the  relief 
by  putting  a  fresh  man  on  each  one,  who  prop- 
erly would  be  No.  13;  but  no  attention  was 
given  to  it,  and  in  the  evening  of  the  third 
day,  when  making  my  round  as  usual,  I  ar- 
rived at  post  No.  7,  and  found  there  were  two 
men — J.  W.  Reed,  having  occupied  the  place 
on  my  relief,  and  Lanterman,  who  had  occu- 
pied it  on  some  other  relief.  Lanterman  had 
arrived  first  and  claimed  preference.  I  ex- 
plained that  Reed,  being  barefooted,  did  not 
have  to  do  duty  unless  he  chose  to  do  so,  and 
he  having  good  boots  could  get  to  the  reserve 
in  case  of  an  attack  as  quickly  as  Reed,  al- 
though the  route  was  not  so  good.  When  ar- 
gument proved  of  no  avail,  I  ordered  him  to 
go.  But  he  raised  his  gun  in  a  threatening 
manner  and  said  he  would  stay  there  or  no 
place  on  the  line.  The  conversation  became 


Reorganizing  and  Hustling          301 

unreserved,  and  no  doubt  the  enemy  heard 
everything  that  was  said. 

I  was  now  placed  in  a  position  that  no  one 
in  our  company  had  ever  been  in.  It  was  a 
case  in  which  by  law  I  would  be  justified  in 
taking  the  life  of  one  of  my  companions  in 
arms.  Had  there  been  nothing  to  consider  but 
the  act  it  would  have  been  easy  enough  to 
throw  him  off  guard  and  shoot  him,  but  after 
a  little  reflection  I  concluded  to  let  it  go  for 
the  present. 

When  I  arrived  at  No.  8,  who  had  now 
been  standing  twenty  minutes  over  time,  I 
found  him  a  little  out  of  humor,  and  he  wanted 
to  know  what  it  all  meant,  as  this  was  such  an 
unusual  occurrence.  When  I  was  giving  the 
necessary  explanation  Reed  came  and  offered 
to  take  his  place,  to  which  I  at  first  objected. 
But  as  he  insisted  he  was  allowed  to  remain. 

After  finishing  my  round  I  returned  to  the 
reserve.  The  news  had  preceded  me  by  the 
man  from  No.  9.  Sergeant  Wilcox  listened 
to  what  was  said,  and  went  to  Captain  New- 
ton, who  was  sleeping,  and  waked  him  up. 
He  told  the  Sergeant  to  detail  a  man  to  fill  out 
the  relief  and  to  take  Lanterman's  arms  away 
from  him.  It  was  accordingly  done,  and  this 
afterward  brought  reproach  on  my  head. 
Lanterman  was  lying  about  camp  with  a  fat 
horse  and  no  duty,  under  arrest.  When  the 
duty  was  hard  I  listened  to  the  boys  say, 
"  Gause  ought  to  do  his  duty  for  not  shooting 
him  in  his  tracks." 


302        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

To  this  challenge  there  could  be  no  reply. 
The  duty  on  this  part  of  the  line  was  very 
important,  and  we  were  liable  to  be  attacked 
at  any  time.  It  was  the  point  where  if  the 
enemy  should  advance  in  force  they  would 
flank  the  infantry,  and  our  orders,  which  were 
strictly  adhered  to  with  the  one  exception, 
were  to  make  no  noise  and  to  conceal  our 
movements  and  position  as  much  as  possible. 

We  were  liable  to  be  shot  at  any  time  we 
rode  the  line,  and  the  post  Lanterman  refused 
to  go  to  was  the  first  point  of  attack,  owing 
to  being  on  the  road  that  led  through  the  line 
of  works.  The  other  boys  said  that  was  the 
reason  he  would  not  go  there.  We  had  picked 
him  up  on  the  Wilson  raid  and  hauled  him  in 
a  carriage,  and  there  was  not  a  man  in  the 
company  who  believed  there  was  anything  the 
matter  with  him  but  fear. 

The  next  time  we  went  on  picket  we  occu- 
pied a  different  position  in  the  same  line 
farther  to  the  left.  The  reserve  camped  in  the 
woods  with  open  pasture  beside  them  about  a 
mile  wide,  and  sloping  gradually  up  to  about 
the  center,  with  lanes  running  each  way 
through  it.  It  was  level  from  that  place  to 
the  timber  along  the  edge,  at  which  the 
enemy's  line  was  posted.  Our  advance  line 
was  stationed  along  the  fence  that  ran  at  the 
terminus  of  the  slope.  The  posts  lay  about  two 
hundred  yards  apart.  I  was  in  charge  of  one 
relief,  as  usual,  and  our  orders  were  to  with- 
draw at  the  first  sign  of  an  advance  of  the 


WARNER  NEWTON 

Captain  Co.  E,  Second  Ohio  Volunteer  Cavalry 


FACING      >O2 


Reorganizing  and  Hustling          303 

enemy,  and  to  reform  in  the  edge  of  the  tim- 
ber. A  thick  brush  was  along  the  edge  of  the 
timber  in  which  the  enemy  was  posted,  and  we 
could  not  see  them  often,  as  they  appeared  to 
try  to  conceal  their  whereabouts. 

Everything  went  all  right  until  the  third 
day.  One  of  our  men,  Wakefield,  caught  sight 
of  one  of  them,  and  the  following  conversation 
ensued: 

"  Ho,  there,  you  Johnnie!  What  do  you 
belong  to?" 

"  Kershaw's  brigade.  What  command  do 
you'ns  belong  to?" 

'  The  Second  Ohio  Cavalry." 
"  I  thought  you'ns  were  in  Tennessee." 
"  We  were,  but  we  are  up  here  now." 
"  Are  you'ns  followin'  we'ns  'round?  " 
"  Yes,  we  are  the  only  ones  can  hold  you 
down." 

They  recognized  by  this  talk  that  trading 
could  be  done,  as  had  been  done  with  us  be- 
fore. 

Another  one  to  the  left  of  where  I  was  stand- 
ing spoke  up  and  asked: 

"  Have  you'ns  got  any  coffee  over  there?" 
"  Plenty  of  it,"  I  replied.    "  Have  you  any 
tobacco  over  there?  " 

"  Dead  loads  of  it,"  was  the  reply. 
I  told  him  to  meet  me  on  half-way  ground 
with  tobacco  and  a  newspaper,  and  I  would 
bring  coffee  and  one  of  our  papers.  He  said 
they  were  not  allowed  to  let  us  have  the  paper, 
and  the  trading  could  not  be  done  there,  but 


304        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

farther  down  in  front  of  the  tree.  The  tree 
was  near  the  right  of  our  line,  and  near  Wake- 
field's  post. 

We  told  him  to  meet  us  there,  and  I  rode 
along  and  gathered  the  coffee.  All  the  boys 
wished  to  contribute  some,  and  I  took  a  news- 
paper. While  riding  down  the  line,  more 
heads  peeped  out  of  the  brush  than  we  had 
seen  in  the  two  days  previous,  all  anxious  to 
know  how  much  coffee  they  were  going  to  get. 
After  strapping  the  arms  to  the  saddle,  and 
leaving  the  horse  with  Wakefield,  we  could 
see  the  man  at  the  edge  of  the  brush.  We 
knew  he  was  disobeying  orders  in  that  negoti- 
ation, and  we  wanted  to  give  him  all  the 
chance  we  could.  I  started  first.  He  watched 
me  for  a  moment,  and  when  he  saw  me  coming 
in  good  faith  he  started  at  a  double-quick  gait. 
About  a  quart  of  coffee  was  tied  up  in  a  hand- 
kerchief, and  he  scarcely  looked  at  me,  but 
kept  his  eye  on  the  prize.  We  shook  hands 
like  two  old  friends,  and  made  the  exchange. 

"What  keeps  you  so  quiet  over  there?"  I 
queried. 

"You  had  better  look  out;  we'ns  are  look- 
ing for  orders  to  advance." 

A  shrill  whistle  was  heard  from  the  point 
where  he  started.  He  said,  "  Something  is 
up;  look  out  now!"  and  started  back  at  full 
speed.  I  walked  quickly  to  my  horse,  handed 
the  tobacco,  of  which  there  was  at  least  five 
pounds,  to  Wakefield,  adjusted  my  arms, 
mounted,  and  had  hardly  straightened  in  the 


Reorganizing  and  Hustling          305 

saddle,  when  we  heard  the  exclamation, 
"  Here  they  come!  "  The  man  with  his  coffee 
was  just  entering  the  brush  when  a  heavy  skir- 
mish line  made  its  appearance  and  moved  at 
a  quick  pace  across  the  pasture. 

We  dropped  back  to  the  edge  of  the  timber 
in  compliance  with  our  orders,  and  were  rein- 
forced by  the  reserve,  making  a  heavy  skir- 
mish line.  They  advanced  in  two  lines.  The 
advance  only  came  near  where  our  vidette  line 
had  been,  where  they  reconnoitered  for  about 
an  hour,  and  the  position  did  not  appear  to 
suit  them.  They  withdrew  to  their  original 
position,  and  we  reestablished  our  vidette  line 
without  exchanging  a  shot.  We  were  relieved 
that  evening,  and  after  resting  a  few  days  we 
were  supplied  with  clothing,  etc.  We  went 
on  picket  in  the  same  place,  and  were  on  duty 
there  at  the  time  the  mine  was  sprung  in  front 
of  Petersburg,  July  30.  We  could  see  the  de- 
bris and  human  bodies  high  up  in  the  air. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

CAPTURE   OF   THE    EIGHTH    SOUTH    CAROLINA 
INFANTRY 

ON  August  ist  General  Sheridan  was 
assigned  to  command  the  Middle 
Military  Division,  and  moved  the 
cavalry  corps  on  transports  up  the 
Potomac  River.  The  customary  privations, 
such  as  no  wood  to  cook  with,  had  to  be  en- 
dured, the  men  living  on  raw  bacon  and  hard 
tack,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  that  were 
able  to  intrude  on  the  good-natured  fireman 
and  make  coffee  in  the  boiler-room. 

The  weather  was  hot  and  the  horses  were 
crowded  into  the  hold  with  no  fresh  water 
to  drink.  The  perspiration  poured  out  of 
them,  and  when  they  were  taken  out  on  the 
wharf  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  they  were  very 
much  drawn,  and  as  wet  as  if  they  had  been 
in  the  river.  They  were  saddled,  however, 
and  we  moved  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
crossed  the  Long  Bridge  into  Virginia,  and 
camped  at  Bailey's  Cross-roads. 

When  the  division  had  all  arrived  it 
marched  by  the  way  of  Manassas  Gap  to  Win- 
chester. The  army  there  was  falling  back  to 
Opequon  Creek,  and  the  tired  troops  were 
then  holding  General  Early's  forces  in  check 

306 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     307 

just  south  of  town.  It  was  late  in  the  evening 
when  the  Third  Division  moved  out  and 
formed  in  their  rear  to  relieve  them. 

When  the  enemy's  line  approached  they 
could  only  be  detected  through  the  darkness 
by  the  flash  of  their  guns,  and  as  there  were 
but  few  missiles  flying,  we  did  not  know  but 
there  were  yet  some  of  our  men  in  front  of  us. 
But  one  of  our  company,  John  Will  Reed,  who 
had  closely  observed  all  the  movements,  be- 
gan firing.  The  Captain  rode  out  in  front  and 
called  out,  "  Don't  fire  into  our  men!  "  "  Our 
men,  hell  and  damnation!"  was  the  reply. 
"Look  at  the  fire  from  those  guns!"  The 
Captain  then  ordered  fire,  and  the  engagement 
began  in  earnest  all  along  the  line.  When 
Reed  had  fired  twenty-one  shots  a  ball  passed 
through  his  lung  and  he  was  taken  to  the  rear. 
John  R.  Johnson  fell  a  few  moments  later, 
instantly  killed. 

We  moved  gradually,  contesting  every  foot 
of  ground.  The  Second  Ohio,  being  in  the 
center  of  the  line,  fell  back  through  the  streets 
of  Winchester.  Our  being  new  arrivals,  the 
people  were  anxious  to  know  to  what  com- 
mand we  belonged.  When  they  put  their 
heads  out  of  the  windows  to  inquire,  they 
would  invariably  get  the  following  answer: 
"  Tell  the  Johnnies  the  Second  Ohio  passed 
them  in  to  town." 

When  we  formed  on  a  cross-street  they 
would  mass  on  the  next  one,  and  when  the  sig- 
nal was  given  to  charge,  we  rallied  on  the  ones 


308        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

running  parallel  with  the  line  of  retreat. 
Then  they  would  pour  out  a  volley,  the  most 
of  which  took  effect  in  the  houses,  as  the  smash- 
ing of  glass  indicated. 

They  halted  at  the  north  side  of  town  and 
we  went  into  camp.  As  soon  as  the  infantry 
crossed  Opequon  Creek,  the  Third  Division 
was  detached  and  went  on  a  tour  of  observa- 
tion into  Maryland,  General  Early's  cavalry 
then  being  on  that  side  of  the  Potomac.  After 
passing  through  Frederick  City,  we  arrived  at 
Perry's  Ford,  and  engaged  the  enemy  on  the 
Maryland  side  until  night,  then  went  into 
camp,  Company  E  having  lost  two  men. 

The  enemy  withdrew  during  the  night,  and 
we  crossed  over  to  Virginia  unmolested  in  the 
morning.  But  an  engagement  followed  before 
night,  and  continued  daily  until  we  passed 
Charles  Town. 

One  of  these  engagements  is  impressed  on 
my  mind  more  than  the  others,  from  the  fact 
that  it  caused  a  change  in  my  mount.  The 
horse  I  was  then  riding  was  a  blue  roan,  twelve 
and  a  half  hands  high,  pony  built,  and  as 
tough  as  a  pine  knot,  but  very  difficult  to  shoot 
from.  In  that  particular  engagement,  being  on 
mounted  skirmish  line,  deployed  in  an  open- 
ing between  two  strips  of  woods,  the  firing  con- 
tinued for  more  than  an  hour,  very  much  like 
sharpshooting.  Whenever  the  gun  was  raised 
the  horse  would  dodge,  and  often  turn  entirely 
around.  The  enemy's  line  being  dismounted 
in  the  woods,  they  had  the  advantage,  as  there 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     309 

was  nothing  in  sight  but  the  smoke  from  the 
gun;  but  with  all  these  difficulties  I  was  en- 
abled to  stop  the  firing  from  one  of  them,  who 
had  such  close  range  on  me  that  the  air  moved 
briskly  about  my  head  every  time  his  gun  was 
discharged.  I  then  turned  my  attention  to  one 
that  was  causing  a  great  deal  of  annoyance  to 
Wakefield.  We  soon  received  orders  to  fall 
back  on  the  main  line,  and  the  column  moved 
out  toward  Charles  Town. 

After  that  day's  work  I  concluded  to  accept 
a  proposal  from  Pidgeon,  who  had  recently 
returned  to  the  company  from  the  hospital. 
He  wanted  the  horse  I  was  riding,  in  memory 
of  our  esteemed  comrade,  Sergeant  Wilkins, 
who  was  wounded  when  riding  him  in  the 
Wilderness.  The  horse  he  turned  over  to  me 
was  a  sorrel  with  a  star  in  the  forehead,  snip 
on  the  nose,  fifteen  hands  high,  thin  in  flesh, 
and,  in  fact,  almost  no  horse  at  all. 

On  August  28  the  Third  Division  moved 
and  camped  near  Berryville,  and  extended 
General  Sheridan's  line,  then  occupying  a 
position  on  the  east  side  of  Opequon  Creek. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September  the  Second  Ohio 
Cavalry  went  on  picket  duty  for  the  second 
time  from  that  camp,  and  occupied  the  same 
position  each  time. 

The  regiment  was  distributed  in  reserve 
camps,  making  a  line  in  front  of  it  as  usual. 
Company  E  was  on  the  right  with  Post  No.  i 
in  hailing  distance  from  the  left  man  on  the 
line  of  the  Fifth  Corps.  I  had  charge  of  one 


310        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

relief,  and  on  the  i3th  Captain  Newton  or- 
dered me  to  draw  my  men  in  on  the  Pike. 
And  when  this  order  was  complied  with,  the 
regiment  had  concentrated  and  the  First  Bri- 
gade in  column  was  approaching.  The  trum- 
pet sounded  forward,  and  without  further 
orders  or  instructions  we  moved  toward  Ope- 
quon  Creek.  We  knew  nothing  about  the  posi- 
tion of  the  enemy,  except  that  their  videttes 
were  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  on  the  east  side 
of  the  creek,  and  we  moved  on  the  walk  until 
the  alarm  shot  was  fired  by  the  enemy,  and 
then  we  galloped  after  him. 

I  had  eight  men,  all  experienced  soldiers, 
equal  to  their  number  on  any  ground  or  in  any 
country,  and  dashing  down  the  steep  grade 
that  curves  around  the  hill  and  terminates  at 
the  creek  crossing,  we  arrived  at  a  log  house, 
where  we  rode  into  their  cavalry  reserve  be- 
fore they  were  able  to  mount,  and,  of  course, 
they  surrendered.  We  had  gained  a  long  dis- 
tance on  the  head  of  the  column  led  by  Captain 
Newton,  who  was  rapidly  closing  up  on  us, 
so  I  ordered  my  men  to  let  the  prisoners  go 
and  follow  me. 

At  this  point  the  road  bears  to  the  left  up 
a  gradual  grade  that  terminates  at  the  top  of 
a  ridge  running  parallel  with  the  creek.  On 
the  ridge  the  enemy's  infantry  line  was  de- 
ployed, and  we  were  within  easy  range,  and 
they  were  making  good  use  of  their  oppor- 
tunity. But  our  rapid  movement  put  them  to 
a  disadvantage  and  they  broke,  making  easy 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.  C.  Infantry     311 

prey  for  my  men,  who  deployed  at  will,  and 
picked  them  up.  At  this  point  there  is  a 
small  grove,  rectangular  in  shape,  between 
the  pike  and  a  deep  ravine.  The  eastern  side 
skirts  the  top  of  the  main  ridge  and  slopes 
toward  Winchester,  and  the  western  edge 
skirts  the  first  ravine. 

Granville  Reed  and  I  followed  the  pike 
and  picked  up  two  prisoners,  who  told  us  that 
the  Eighth  South  Carolina  Infantry  was  in  the 
woods  to  our  left.  Reed  went  back  with  the 
prisoners  and  I  rode  beyond  the  woods  and 
turned  out  on  a  low  ridge  beyond  the  ravine 
for  the  purpose  of  making  observations,  pre- 
suming that  the  column  would  follow;  but 
was  surprised  when  they  opened  fire  on  the 
south  side  of  the  ravine.  At  the  same 
time  a  volley  from  the  woods  caused  me  to 
think  a  swarm  of  bees  was  passing  my  ears. 
To  protect  myself  I  turned  into  the  ravine  and 
kept  close  to  the  woods  until  I  arrived  at  the 
pike,  just  in  time  to  see  General  Mclntosh 
with  staff  and  Third  New  Jersey  escort  halt 
on  the  ridge  recently  occupied  by  the  enemy. 
I  galloped  directly  to  him  and  reported  the 
result  of  my  observation,  and  remarked,  "  We 
can  capture  them."  He  said,  "  Will  you  go?  " 
"  Certainly,"  was  my  reply.  He  turned  to 
someone  and  ordered  a  squadron  of  the  Third 
New  Jersey  to  follow  me. 

I  galloped  back  over  the  route  I  had  come, 
and  when  on  the  low  ridge  a  volley  was  fired 
at  me,  and  another  in  quick  succession  in  a 


312        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

different  direction.  That  caused  me  to  look 
around,  and  I  discovered  the  Third  New  Jer- 
sey squadron  fleeing  in  confusion. 

Company  E,  Second  Ohio,  had  now  ad- 
vanced to  a  high  point  on  the  south  side  of 
the  ravine,  and,  thinking  I  was  one  of 
the  enemy,  was  directing  their  fire  at  me.  I 
waved  my  cap  and  motioned  them  to  cease 
firing.  I  then  galloped  after  the  broken 
squadron,  hoping  to  rally  them;  but  most  of 
them  had  fled  over  the  main  ridge,  and  further 
effort  on  my  part  to  rally  them  was  abandoned. 

I  had  been  wishing  for  one  of  the  butterfly 
capes  worn  by  the  Third,  and  rode  up  to  a 
wounded  horse  abandoned  with  full  outfit  on 
him.  I  cut  the  saddle  strap  and  threw  the 
cape  across  my  saddle  and  galloped  toward 
headquarters. 

The  enemy,  who  had  kept  up  a  constant 
fusillade  at  me,  suddenly  ceased  firing.  I 
slackened  the  pace  of  the  horse  to  a  walk  and 
said  to  myself,  "  The  dog  is  dead,"  meaning 
that  the  enemy  would  now  take  advantage  of 
the  opportunity  to  make  their  escape  by  going 
down  the  ravine,  the  banks  being  suffi- 
ciently high  to  hide  them  from  view  until 
they  were  under  cover  of  the  next  line,  consist- 
ing of  a  cavalry  brigade  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  in  the  rear. 

I  arrived  at  headquarters  at  the  same  time 
General  Wilson  did,  he  having  come  from  the 
opposite  direction.  The  same  old  air  of  excite- 
ment and  timorousness  that  always  prevailed 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry      313 

at  his  headquarters  came  with  him,  and  he 
said :  "  General  Mclntosh,  you  had  better  get 
your  men  out  of  here  as  quick  as  possible."  In 
reply  General  Mclntosh  said:  "There  is  a 
regiment  in  the  woods;  we  want  to  capture 
them.  Captain  Houghton,  send  a  squadron 
from  the  Second  Ohio  to  follow  this  man." 

Major  Nettleton  chanced  to  be  near  with 
part  of  two  companies,  about  thirty  men,  and 
Captain  Houghton  delivered  the  order  to  him, 
and  I  placed  myself  in  advance  and  urged 
them  to  a  gallop,  and  also  to  keep  farther  down 
toward  the  enemy's  cavalry  in  order  to  follow 
the  second  shallow  ravine.  We  arrived  at  the 
creek  just  in  time  to  intercept  them,  and  plac- 
ing my  carbine  in  position  to  shoot,  I  de- 
manded surrender.  They  turned  by  fours 
left  about,  and  were  soon  under  cover,  the 
bank  being  high  at  that  point. 

Our  men  wheeled  fours  into  line  and 
charged  toward  the  woods,  and  when  we  ar- 
rived at  the  summit  of  the  ridge  we  were  met 
by  a  volley  that  sent  the  line  back  into  the 
ravine.  With  my  eye  on  the  foe,  I  did  not 
notice  the  men  falling  back  until  a  ball  struck 
my  carbine,  knocking  it  from  my  left  hand. 
When  I  looked  around  I  discovered  but  one 
man  near  me.  It  was  Miller,  of  Company  G, 
and  I  said  to  him,  "  Miller,  I  guess  we  are 
alone."  He  replied  by  saying,  "  They  will 
come  again ;  they  are  reforming."  We  turned 
and  went  toward  them,  and  as  we  approached 
someone  said,  "  We  will  never  get  them,"  in  a 


314        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

tone  that  would  indicate  no  desire  to  make 
further  effort  in  that  direction.  On  hearing 
this  I  shouted,  "  For  God's  sake,  men,  do  not 
let  them  get  away,  now  we  have  them  sur- 
rounded and  they  must  surrender!"  A  firm 
voice  shouted,  "  Cause,  we  will  follow  you !  " 
I  answered,  "  Come  on,  then!  "  and  we  went, 
only  to  meet  another  volley  on  the  same  ridge. 
But  the  line  did  not  falter,  and  before  they 
could  reload  we  were  in  the  ravine,  shouting, 
"  Stack  your  arms!  Surrender!  "  I  then  dis- 
mounted, ran  into  the  woods,  took  the  flag, 
and  marched  the  prisoners  out. 

The  prisoners  were  marched  up  the  ra- 
vine, and  when  they  turned  over  the  ridge  I 
reined  to  one  side  and  passed  them.  The  Col- 
onel saluted  his  flag  and  the  men  said,  "  We 
have  followed  it  many  times."  "  Under  very 
different  circumstances,"  was  my  reply. 

Soon  after  passing  the  prisoners,  one  of 
General  Wilson's  staff  officers  met  me  and 
ordered  me  to  follow  him,  then  he  turned  and 
rode  away  at  full  speed.  My  horse,  being 
jaded,  was  not  able  to  travel  at  such  a  gait,  but 
jogged  along  in  that  direction,  until  the  officer 
returned,  twitted  me  for  disobedience  of 
orders,  and  told  me  to  turn  the  flag  over  to  his 
orderly.  I  then  went  to  my  company,  who  had 
witnessed  the  whole  transaction,  and  all  ap- 
peared to  agree  that  I  should  have  refused  to 
part  with  my  captured  trophy. 

We  then  moved  rapidly  across  Opequon 
Creek  and  passed  General  Wilson's  headquar- 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     315 

ters,  then  taking  observations  of  the  enemy's 
movements.  We  also  got  a  glimpse  of  it,  a 
beautiful  panorama — General  Early's  army 
on  the  move,  coming  out  to  meet  what  they 
supposed  to  be  a  general  attack  from  Sheridan. 

We  also  saw  the  flag  at  headquarters,  and 
some  of  the  boys  proposed  that  I  should  ride 
up  and  demand  it,  and  if  refused  they  would 
assist  and  take  it  by  force;  but  I  considered 
that  preposterous,  telling  them  it  amounted  to 
nothing,  and  that  it  would  come  out  all  right 
in  the  course  of  time. 

As  a  reward  for  that  audacious  act  we  were 
relieved  from  picket  duty,  and  I  was  further 
rewarded  by  being  allowed  to  turn  in  the  jaded 
horse  and  take  Lanterman's,  a  fine  fellow  that 
had  had  nothing  to  do  but  eat  forage  since  the 
arrest  at  Petersburg. 

An  hour  had  passed,  with  everything  as 
usual,  and  I  was  attending  to  the  camp  duties, 
such  as  cooking,  feeding,  and  so  on,  without 
the  slightest  suspicion  that  my  chance  for  the 
credit  was  in  the  slightest  danger,  when  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Purrington  called  on  me,  and  I 
soon  learned  that  there  was  a  regular  clamor 
at  headquarters  as  to  who  should  have  the 
credit.  Though  there  had  been  thousands  of 
witnesses,  none  appeared  to  know  anything 
about  it.  One  man  from  the  Fifth  New  York 
claimed  that  I  had  taken  the  flag  from  him. 
That  all  appeared  strange  to  me  at  the  time, 
but  I  soon  learned  that  it  was  a  profession,  and 
oftentimes  is  more  profitable  than  stealing 


316        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

real  property.  I  treated  the  whole  matter  as 
a  joke,  and  told  the  Colonel  that  I  did  not 
know  the  Fifth  wore  gray  uniforms,  and  as 
the  man  that  surrendered  the  flag  was  dressed 
in  gray  I  thought  him  a  Johnnie. 

Even  some  of  the  staff  officers  that  had  been 
charging  about,  so  rattled  they  did  not  know 
whether  they  were  going  or  coming,  were  now 
making  some  pretensions.  I  have  often  won- 
dered that  the  commander  of  the  Third  New 
Jersey  allowed  favorable  mention  of  his  regi- 
ment by  the  General. 

The  Second  Ohio  was  not  allowed  to  enjoy 
their  respite  very  long,  for  we  were  sent  out 
to  do  picket  duty  on  the  extreme  left  of  the 
line,  about  ten  miles  from  camp.  After  post- 
ing my  relief  on  the  evening  of  the  lyth,  I  rode 
to  the  reserve,  and  Captain  Newton  informed 
me  that  he  had  received  orders  for  me  to  re- 
port to  General  Mclntosh  at  once. 

Immediately  after  eating  supper  I  mounted, 
and  arrived  at  headquarters  about  eight 
o'clock.  General  Mclntosh  told  me  to  report 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  Captain  Beau- 
mont of  General  Wilson's  staff.  Not  having 
had  an  opportunity  to  draw  clothing  for  a 
long  time,  I  looked  very  shabby,  and  the  Gen- 
eral gave  me  an  order  on  the  quartermaster  at 
Harper's  Ferry  for  a  new  suit,  and  also  offered 
to  give  me  an  order  on  the  paymaster  for 
money.  I  had  ten  dollars  and  my  bunky  had 
ten  more  that  I  could  get  by  asking  for  it,  so 
that  offer  was  declined.  He  said  that  I  should 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     317 

be  prompt  in  the  morning,  as  there  were  many 
officers  going  to  Harper's  Ferry  with  an  es- 
cort, and  they  would  start  on  time.  He  told 
me  to  turn  my  horse  and  arms  over  at  Harper's 
Ferry. 

I  went  to  the  company  and  made  my  ar- 
rangements to  be  gone  some  time.  My  bunky 
gave  me  the  ten  dollars  with  instructions  to 
bring  him  two  dollars'  worth  of  fine-cut  to- 
bacco. Bidding  them  good-by,  I  rode  to  bri- 
gade camp,  pulled  the  saddle  from  the  horse, 
and  put  it  on  the  jaded  one,  thinking  he  was 
good  enough  to  turn  in,  and  the  other  one 
better  for  the  company.  After  taking  a  little 
rest,  I  cooked  breakfast  and  reported  on  time 
at  General  Wilson's  headquarters.  Captain 
Beaumont  was  still  in  bed,  but  proceeded  to 
give  some  crusty  orders  to  a  servant  about 
blackening  boots,  breakfast,  saddling  up,  etc. 
At  length  the  horse  was  brought  out  by  an 
orderly,  who  held  the  stirrup  in  position  to  put 
his  foot  in.  He  mounted,  and  without  saying 
a  word  dashed  out  of  sight.  I  inquired  how 
long  he  would  be  gone.  They  said  he  was  go- 
ing to  Washington  and  would  not  be  back  for 
several  days.  I  mounted  and  followed  the 
road  in  the  woods,  not  knowing  whether  it  was 
right  or  wrong.  Soon  he  came  dashing  back 
and  said,  "  If  you  are  going  with  me,  you  had 
better  come  on." 

"  And  if  you  are  going  with  me,  you  had  bet- 
ter slacken  your  pace,"  was  the  reply. 

He  was  gone  again,   and  after  galloping 


318        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

along  for  half  a  mile  I  came  up  to  him  wait- 
ing for  me  to  hold  his  horse.  I  took  the  rein, 
and  he  went  to  General  Sheridan's  tent, 
brought  out  the  flag,  and  handed  it  to  me.  I 
handed  him  the  rein,  and  could  see  that  he 
was  disgusted  because  I  did  not  act  as  orderly 
and  hold  the  stirrup  for  him.  I  paid  no  at- 
tention, but  mounted,  thinking  if  that  was  his 
notion,  he  was  off  for  once  anyway. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  appointed  place  the 
party  was  assembled,  and  moved  out  to  Har- 
per's Ferry,  where  we  arrived  at  two  o'clock 
and  waited  for  the  train.  After  disposing  of 
the  horses  and  equipments  I  showed  the 
Captain  the  order  for  my  clothing,  but  he  said 
that  he  had  no  time  for  that.  We  went  to  the 
depot,  where  he  left  me,  he  going  to  dine  with 
the  other  officers,  and  I  remaining  there,  an 
object  of  curiosity  for  the  crowd  for  two  hours. 
Many  officers  and  soldiers  told  me  that  they 
had  seen  the  Eighth  South  Carolina  when  they 
went  through  Harper's  Ferry  on  their  way  to 
a  Northern  prison. 

Captain  Beaumont  arrived  in  time  for  the 
train,  and  it  was  evident  he  did  not  want  to  be 
recognized  as  one  of  my  crowd;  but  he 
changed  his  mind  when  he  saw  that  the  flag 
drew  the  attention  of  so  many  people.  There 
was  a  crowd  about  me  all  the  time  until  we 
arrived  at  the  Relay  House,  and  they  did  not 
appear  to  notice  my  worn  and  dusty  clothes. 
While  waiting  for  a  train  at  Relay  I  bought 
a  pair  of  boots  to  help  out  my  appearance, 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     319 

and  when  the  train  arrived  the  Captain  con- 
descended to  take  a  seat  by  me.  The  Captain 
registered  at  the  Ebbitt  House,  where  we  left 
the  flag  until  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning, 
when  we  were  to  go  to  the  War  Department. 

When  almost  there  he  asked  for  a  statement 
of  the  particulars  of  its  capture  that  he  might 
properly  state  it  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  I 
supposed  he  had  written  a  statement,  and  I 
was  so  disconcerted  that  I  could  not  explain  it 
to  him.  We  were  met  by  a  crowd  on  the  steps 
at  the  War  Department,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  we  were  able  to  pass  through  the 
corridors.  The  people  asked  all  kinds  of  odd 
questions.  We  were  finally  ushered  into  the 
public  reception-room,  and  left  to  ourselves 
for  a  few  minutes  until  Edwin  M.  Stanton, 
Secretary  of  War,  entered  the  room.  He 
threw  the  door  open  and  the  crowd  filled  the 
room.  He  went  behind  the  desk  and  told  me 
to  unfurl  the  flag,  which  was  accordingly 
done.  He  then  asked  me  to  explain  how  I 
had  captured  it.  Hardly  having  thought  of 
the  affair,  and  not  being  used  to  making  ex- 
planations, I  just  said,  "  I  went  up  and  took 
it." 

"  Where  did  you  go  for  it?  "  he  said. 

"  In  the  woods,  down  in  Virginia." 

He  made  a  nice  little  speech,  and  said  he 
thanked  me  and  the  country  thanked  me,  but 
he  could  do  nothing  for  me  in  the  Second 
Ohio,  as  promotions  were  all  made  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State.  He  told  me  if  I  under- 


320        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

stood  army  tactics  and  how  to  make  out  army 
papers,  he  would  put  me  in  the  Regular  Army. 
I  told  him  I  could  not  do  it.  He  said  that  my 
branch  of  the  service  had  been  cavalry,  and 
he  had  issued  an  order  to  enlist  a  regiment  to 
be  called  the  First  Kentucky  Colored  Cavalry. 
Then  he  asked : 

"  What  position  would  you  like  in  that?  " 

"  None,"  I  said. 

"  What  excuse  have  you  to  offer?  "  he  re- 
plied, his  face  becoming  scarlet. 

"  We  have  been  with  the  Ninth  Corps,  and 
my  observation  is  that  the  officers  are  on  duty 
all  the  time,  while  the  soldiers  have  relief." 

"  Other  men  have  made  the  same  excuse, 
but  official  report  states  they  make  good  sol- 
diers," he  said,  "  and  as  I  can  do  nothing  for 
you  I  will  look  for  your  officers  to  do  what 
they  can,  and  you  will  report  to  the  Adjutant- 
General,  who  will  give  you  a  furlough  to  stay 
in  Washington  as  long  as  you  wish.  You  will 
also  be  awarded  a  medal  of  honor,  which  he 
will  give  you." 

He  then  left  the  room,  and  we  were  con- 
ducted to  the  Adjutant-General's  office  and 
introduced.  Captain  Beaumont  signed  the 
register  and  left,  and  that  was  the  last  I  saw  of 
him.  After  receiving  a  furlough  for  four 
days,  with  orders  to  report  the  next  day  for 
the  medal,  which,  in  the  meantime,  would 
have  to  be  engraved,  I  left  the  office. 

The  demand  made  upon  me  for  the  flag  and 
its  delivery  to  one  of  General  Wilson's  staff 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry      321 

had  much  significance.  It  was  an  infraction 
of  General  Sheridan's  notions  of  propriety  in 
the  treatment  of  men  who  performed  com- 
mendable deeds.  The  discussion  revealed  to 
him  the  strained  relations  that  existed  be- 
tween General  Wilson  and  the  members  of 
the  Second  Ohio  Cavalry,  who  always  hooted 
as  the  General  passed  near  them,  from  the  22d 
of  June  until  he  left  the  command. 

On  the  march  or  in  camp,  when  Wilson  ap- 
peared in  sight,  the  shout  was  set  up,  "  Here 
is  the  man  with  the  ham;  here  he  goes;  catch 
him!"  and  many  other  things  that  were  un- 
pleasant for  him  to  hear.  It  was  done  with  a 
sense  of  shame  and  pity,  but  of  contempt  for 
a  man  who  persisted  in  holding  a  position  over 
thousands,  of  whom  hundreds  were  his  superi- 
ors in  ability  and  courage.  The  act  of  hold- 
ing the  office  itself  made  him  superior  to  none, 
nnd  the  temptation  was  such  that  they  could 
not  resist  joining  in  the  tumult. 

On  learning  this,  General  Wilson  was  as- 
signed to  the  Western  Department,  where,  it 
is  said,  he  gained  fame. 

When  my  furlough  expired,  I  reported  at 
Sandy  Hook,  Maryland,  to  the  commander 
of  the  camp  for  remount.  In  the  course  of 
four  or  five  days  a  party  was  sent  to  the  front. 

The  horse  assigned  to  me  at  this  time  was 
a  freak.  He  was  about  sixteen  hands  high, 
bay  with  black  mane  and  tail,  and  of  an  un- 
gainly proportion,  wind  broken  and  with  a 
mouth  so  hard  one  man  could  not  hold  him, 


322        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

In  fact,  the  harder  one  pulled  on  the  rein,  the 
faster  he  would  try  to  go. 

We  were  escort  or  guard  for  a  supply-train 
from  the  depot  to  the  front.  We  traveled  the 
mountain  road  up  the  Valley,  and  nothing  of 
importance  occurred  except  the  burning  of  a 
barn  that  contained  thousands  of  guns  and 
cartridges.  A  fusillade  was  kept  up  from  the 
explosion  of  the  cartridges  for  an  hour  or 
more. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  i6th  of  October  we 
arrived  at  the  camp  of  the  Third  Division, 
now  commanded  by  Major-General  G.  A. 
Custer.  A  great  change  had  taken  place  in 
the  division  during  my  absence.  General  Mc- 
Intosh  had  lost  a  leg,  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Purrington  was  in  command  of  the  brigade 
by  special  request  of  General  Mclntosh. 
Major  Nettleton  was  in  command  of  the  Sec- 
ond Ohio,  being  the  ranking  officer  now  with 
the  regiment.  My  bunky,  William  Wiggins, 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  and 
as  I  did  not  chew  tobacco,  I  distributed  the 
fine  cut  brought  for  him  among  the  other  boys. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  we  reported 
to  the  company  for  duty.  After  eating  some 
dinner  Captain  Newton  told  me  that  Major 
Nettleton  wanted  to  see  me,  and  I  reported  to 
him  immediately.  After  relating  to  him  briefly 
the  incidents  of  the  ceremony  at  the  War  De- 
partment, he  asked,  "  What  did  the  Secretary 
say  about  me?"  The  question  was  such 
a  surprise  to  me  that  it  completely  upset  me, 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry      323 

for  it  had  not  been  mentioned  at  all,  and  I  re- 
plied that  the  Secretary  had  given  him  all  the 
credit  due  him.  He  said  they  were  under 
orders  to  move.  I  reported  to  the  company, 
the  trumpet  sounded,  we  led  into  line,  and 
soon  moved  out.  The  Fifth  New  York  and 
the  Second  Ohio  relieved  the  line  in  front  of 
General  Early's  line  of  battle  at  Waynesboro, 
and  the  balance  of  the  division  began  the 
march  to  what  was  known  as  the  back  road 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 
The  order  from  General  Custer  was  to  fall 
back  in  case  of  an  advance  of  the  enemy,  and 
as  soon  as  the  enemy  saw  the  cavalry  moving 
out,  they  began  a  flank  movement.  Just  at 
dark  the  main  line  advanced  in  front  of  us. 
We  fell  back  gradually  until  the  information 
reached  us  that  retreat  was  cut  off  by  the 
enemy's  flanking  party.  The  shout  could  be 
heard  from  every  quarter,  "  Go  through 
them!"  and  with  shouts  and  yells  the  whole 
crowd  went.  We  had  to  pass  a  line  that  lay 
behind  the  fence  parallel  with  the  line  of  re- 
treat. It  was  now  dark  and  the  blaze  from 
the  muskets  made  a  red  glare  that  put  the 
horses  to  their  utmost  speed,  and  we  passed  in 
two  columns.  A  horse  went  down  in  front  of 
me.  I  was  then  pulling  the  reins  with  all  my 
strength  to  steady  the  horse  on  the  hard  pike 
and  down  the  hill.  The  rider  of  the  horse 
that  had  fallen  cried  out,  "Let  me  ride!" 
caught  the  reins,  and  with  a  whirl  he  went 
headlong.  His  weight  added  to  mine  made 


324        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

no  impression  on  the  speed  of  the  hard- 
mouthed  animal,  for,  with  mouth  wide  open 
and  the  sound,  "  Ha,  ha,  ha!  "  at  every  jump, 
that  could  be  heard  for  a  long  distance,  he 
dashed  ahead. 

As  soon  as  the  two  regiments  overtook  the 
rear  of  the  column,  they  came  to  a  halt,  and 
we  lay  down  in  a  fence  corner  and  went  to 
sleep.  At  last  we  moved  out,  and  after  march- 
ing about  a  mile  John  Z.  Johnson  reported  to 
the  captain  that  his  bunky,  Logan  Moore, 
was  missing,  and  that  he  knew  Moore  was  with 
the  company  when  it  halted.  The  Captain 
said,  "  Cause,  you  take  two  men  and  go  back 
and  find  Logan." 

Two  of  the  boys  volunteered,  and  we  went 
back.  We  passed  the  rear-guard  after  explain- 
ing our  mission.  Soon  we  heard  voices  of  men 
coming  in  on  a  side  road.  We  recognized  one 
of  them  and  called  out,  "  Is  that  you,  Pol- 
hemus?  " 

At  the  challenge  my  horse  turned  and 
started  to  run.  It  was  impossible  to  hold  him, 
so  I  turned  him  into  the  fence.  He  hit  it 
pretty  hard,  and  by  holding  the  spurs  to  his 
side  I  was  enabled  to  remain  there  until  the 
squad  had  passed.  It  was  Sergeant  Polhemus, 
who  had  been  dispatched  on  patrol  to  guard 
against  a  flank  attack.  We  had  not  gone  far 
before  we  heard  horses'  hoofs  as  they  pounded 
the  hard  pike.  When  we  challenged  my  horse 
went  through  the  same  performance  as  at  the 
last  challenge.  The  lone  horseman  came  to 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.   C.  Infantry     325 

a  halt,  and  we  called  to  him,  "  Logan,  is  that 
you?"  He  answered,  "Yes,"  with  a  voice 
that  indicated  an  uncertainty  of  his  position. 
We  told  him  to  come  on,  and  he  approached 
and  said  he  was  sure  he  was  going  into  the 
enemy's  line  and  had  tried  to  force  the  horse 
to  go  in  the  opposite  direction.  But  his  horse, 
he  said,  would  back  up  and  endeavor  to  turn 
around,  and  he  finally  gave  up  and  let  him  go 
the  way  he  chose. 

We  camped  at  the  back  road  for  a  rest,  and 
at  twelve  o'clock  moved  out.  The  enemy's 
cavalry  was  now  up  with  the  rear-guard  and 
thought  to  surprise  us.  They  ran  two  batter- 
ies, twelve  guns  in  all,  out  in  an  open  field  and 
opened  fire.  Our  artillery,  already  in  posi- 
tion, answered  the  challenge,  and  the  sound 
of  their  guns  was  recognized  by  Sergeant 
Polhemus  as  the  ones  abandoned  by  General 
Wilson  on  the  raid,  June  3Oth.  He  shouted, 
"  Battery  B  and  M,  charge!  "  dashed  the  spurs 
to  his  horse,  and  went  straight  to  the  artillery. 
Men  and  officers  followed  him,  drove  away 
the  gunners,  and  brought  back  every  piece  but 
one  that  was  crippled  by  a  shell  from  Custer's 
battery.  A  New  York  regiment,  coming  out 
to  support  the  Second  Ohio,  saw  the  gun 
standing  on  the  field,  and  five  of  them  went  for 
it.  About  the  same  number  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry  met  them  at  the  gun,  and  they  fought 
as  handsome  a  duel  as  was  ever  fought  with 
sabers.  The  victory  was  in  favor  of  the  New 
York  boys,  who  started  with  the  crippled  gun, 


326        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

but  finally  abandoned  it  owing  to  its  useless 
condition. 

We  then  withdrew,  as  it  was  our  orders  to 
move  farther  up  the  Valley,  to  take  all  the 
stock,  and  to  destroy  all  the  supplies  on  the 
back  road.  The  next  day  the  Second  Ohio 
was  sent  back  to  support  the  rear-guard,  con- 
sisting of  a  regiment  from  some  other  brigade 
that  was  hard  pushed  by  Rosser's  cavalry.  My 
new  horse  displayed  his  peculiarities  to  the 
queen's  taste.  The  engagement  was  one  of 
those  genuine  skirmishes  in  which  the  reced- 
ing line  fires  until  hard  pressed,  and  then  falls 
back.  The  country  was  rough  and  inter- 
spersed with  woods  and  fields.  We  deployed 
in  an  open  field  and  the  enemy  appeared  at 
the  edge  of  the  woods.  The  horse  stood,  not 
appearing  to  mind  the  noise  or  motion  of  the 
gun  as  it  was  leisurely  fired;  but  when  the 
trumpet  sounded  retreat  and  the  rein  was 
moved,  he  turned  and  ran  with  all  the  strength 
he  could  muster.  When  we  stopped  we  were 
three  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  re- 
formed line.  The  boys  gave  me  the  laugh  as 
we  returned  to  our  place.  This  was  repeated 
three  times.  The  last  time  was  down  a  steep 
hill  with  a  rail  fence  running  along  the  side 
and  about  forty  feet  from  the  creek  that  ran 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  By  great  effort  we 
steered  to  a  place  where  the  trumpeter  had 
thrown  the  rider  from  the  fence,  and  he  and 
the  Captain  were  just  going  over. 

My  horse  jumped  and  hit  the  ground  about 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.  C.  Infantry     327 

half-way  between  the  fence  and  the  creek,  and 
at  the  next  leap  he  landed  in  it.  As  the  Cap- 
tain was  going  up  the  steep  bank  on  the  op- 
posite side  a  ball,  presumably,  aimed  at  me, 
went  over  my  head  and  hit  the  Captain's  horse 
in  the  hip.  I  saw  the  ball  hit  the  horse  and 
saw  the  smoke  fly,  and  his  horse  gave  a  shriek 
that  sent  a  shiver  all  through  me.  My  horse 
did  not  wait  for  them  to  get  out  of  the  path, 
but  jumped  up  the  bank,  which  was  about 
three  feet  high,  and  after  repeated  efforts  we 
got  to  our  place  in  the  line.  The  Captain  told 
me  to  go  to  the  rear,  and  the  next  day  he  gave 
me  a  new  horse. 

The  march  was  continued  down  the  Valley 
for  several  days,  and  the  smoke  from  the  burn- 
ing stacks  and  barns  could  be  seen  all  the  way 
across  the  Valley.  The  troops  on  the  other  two 
roads  kept  about  even,  forming  a  continuous 
line  from  the  Blue  Ridge  road  to  the  back 
road. 

There  were  some  exhibitions  of  what  men 
will  do  to  save  their  property.  One  man  stood 
on  a  hay  stack  and  fired  into  a  marching  col- 
umn, and  it  is  needless  to  say  he  fell  riddled 
with  bullets.  Another  man  stood  in  his  barn 
door  and  shot  the  soldier  that  was  ordered  to 
set  the  barn  on  fire.  He  was  tried  by  court 
martial.  Rosser's  cavalry  pressed  our  rear- 
guard until  we  arrived  at  Rapid  Rushing 
Creek,  where  the  command  halted.  The  next 
morning  Custer  turned  on  them,  and  sent  them 
out  of  the  country  in  a  demoralized  condition. 


328        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

We  then  moved  back  to  the  neighborhood 
of  Cedar  Creek,  and  went  into  camp  for  re- 
organization. 

The  Captain  told  me  one  day  he  felt  as  if 
he  owed  me  a  favor,  and  asked  me  what  he 
could  do  for  me.  I  replied  that  I  would  like 
to  go  home  for  forty  days.  He  wrote  out  a 
furlough  with  a  recommendation  setting  forth 
the  capture  of  the  flag  as  a  sufficient  reason  to 
grant  it.  When  the  paper  reached  headquar- 
ters Major  Nettleton  signed  it,  and  recom- 
mended one  for  himself  and  forwarded  them 
to  brigade  headquarters.  About  this  time 
Major  Seward  arrived  and  took  command  of 
the  regiment. 

A  court  was  organized  to  try  the  offenders 
of  the  past  few  months.  One  day  the  Captain 
said  that  Major  Seward  wanted  to  see  me,  and 
I  went  up  to  headquarters  where  the  court  was 
convened.  The  Major  met  me  outside,  and 
asked  me  what  I  wanted  to  do  with  Lanter- 
man's  case.  He  said  charges  had  been  pre- 
ferred against  him  for  mutiny  in  front  of  the 
enemy  and  that  the  lightest  sentence  was  Dry 
Tortugas  for  life.  He  said  I  was  the  main 
witness  and  if  it  suited  me  he  would  withdraw 
the  charges.  I  said  that  I  did  not  want  to  in- 
flict punishment  on  anyone,  and  as  Lanter- 
man  was  a  recruit,  and  as  he  was  prompted  to 
do  what  he  did  by  thinking  he  was  imposed 
upon,  we  had  better  let  him  off  this  time.  I 
went  to  my  tent,  and  in  about  an  hour  Lanter- 
man  came  in  with  tears  streaming  down  his 


Capture  of  Eighth  S.  C.  Infantry     329 

cheeks.  He  grasped  my  hands  in  both  of  his, 
and  he  was  so  overcome  with  emotion  that  he 
could  not  speak.  I  told  him  I  understood 
him,  and  he  went  to  his  tent.  That  night  he 
went  on  duty.  He  left  camp  in  a  few  days  and 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  enemy. 

The  following,  copied  from  the  Official 
Records  of  the  Rebellion,  is  of  interest  to  close 
this  chapter: 

HEADQUARTERS,  MIDDLE  MILITARY  DIVISION. 

September  13,  1864. 

This  morning  I  sent  General  Getty,  division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps,  with  two  brigades  of  cavalry  to  the  crossing  of  the  sum- 
mit point  and  Winchester  road  over  Opequon  Creek,  to  develop 
the  force  of  the  enemy  in  that  vicinity.  Rhodes,  Ramsure,  Gor- 
don, and  Wharton's  divisions  were  found  on  the  west  bank.  At 
the  same  time  General  Wilson,  with  General  Mclntosh's  brigade 
of  cavalry,  dashed  up  the  Winchester  pike,  drove  the  rebel 
cavalry  at  a  run,  came  in  contact  with  Kershaw's  division, 
charged  them,  and  captured  the  Eighth  South  Carolina  Regi- 
ment, sixteen  officers,  one  hundred  and  forty-five  men,  its  battle 
flag,  and  Colonel  Henigan,  commanding  brigade,  with  a  loss  of 
four  men.  (Two  killed  and  two  wounded.)  Great  credit  is  due 
General  Wilson,  General  Mclntosh,  the  Third  New  Jersey  and 
Second  Ohio.  The  charge  was  a  gallant  one.  A  portion  of  the 
Second  Massachusetts  reserve  brigade  made  a  charge  on  the 
right  of  our  line,  and  captured  one  officer  and  eleven  men  of 
Gordon's  division  of  infantry.  Our  loss  in  the  reconnaissance 
was  very  light. 

(Signed)   MAJ.  GEN.  SHERIDAN. 

In  his  general  report  of  the  maneuvers  of 
the  troops  in  the  Valley,  General  Sheridan 
refers  to  that  charge  in  the  following  lan- 
guage : 

Although  the  main  force  remained  without  change  of  position 
from  September  3d  until  the  igth,  still  the  cavalry  was  employed 
every  day  in  harassing  the  enemy.  Its  opponents  being  princi- 
pally infantry.  In  these  skirmishes  the  cavalry  was  being 
educated  to  attack  infantry  lines.  On  the  i3th  one  of  these 
handsome  dashes  was  made  by  General  Mclntosh,  of  Wilson's 
division,  capturing  the  Eighth  South  Carolina  infantry. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

BATTLE  OF  CEDAR  CREEK 

ON  October  i6th  we  were  in  the  saddle 
at  daylight,  and  moved  across  the  Val- 
ley to  the  Shenandoah  River  on  the 
pike  leading  to  Washington  by  the 
way  of  Snicker's  Gap.    The  command  com- 
prising the  cavalry  corps  rendezvoused  there 
in  light  marching  order,  ostensibly  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  raid  to  some  other  lo- 
cality.   General  Sheridan,  with  headquarters 
in  the  saddle  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river, 
remained  for  two  hours.     The  Second  Ohio 
Cavalry,  by  order  from  General   Sheridan, 
moved  out  in  column  and  halted  with  the  ad- 
vance near  the  ford  of  the  river. 

After  some  deliberation  Captain  Newton 
was  ordered  to  report  to  Colonel  Forsythe, 
adjutant-general  at  that  time  on  Sheridan's 
staff.  He  subsequently  ordered  the  Captain 
to  move  his  company  across  the  river.  When 
we  moved  out  the  General  and  his  staff  fell  in 
the  rear  of  the  company.  Advance-  and  rear- 
guard were  accordingly  detached  and  moved 
at  proper  intervals.  We  marched  up  the  long 
winding  slope  to  the  gap  that  leads  through 
the  Blue  Ridge.  We  had  not  moved  far  when 

330 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  331 

it  was  evident  that  no  other  troops  were  on  the 
march.  In  discussing  the  situation  we  con- 
cluded the  movement  of  the  corps  was  a  feint 
to  deceive  the  enemy.  I  did  not  know  the 
facts  until  I  read  Sheridan's  "  Memoirs."  He 
makes  the  statement  that  he  sent  all  the  cav- 
alry back  but  one  regiment.  The  fact  is  it  was 
all  sent  back  but  one  company,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  the  company  numbered  more  than  sixty 
men,  all  told.  The  General  is  excusable  for 
not  retaining  such  small  affairs  in  his  mind, 
for  he  was  then  dealing  with  a  department 
and  armies  consisting  of  divisions  and  corps. 
With  me  it  is  different.  I  dealt  with  squads 
and  minor  details,  the  limit  of  which  did  not 
go  beyond  my  sight.  I  can  now  see  the  party 
marching  up  the  slope  and  the  General  giving 
instructions  to  Captain  Newton  on  the  plat- 
form at  the  depot  as  plainly  as  if  the  pic- 
ture were  before  me,  and,  therefore,  venture 
the  assertion  and  an  apology  for  my  state- 
ment. 

While  going  up  the  slope  my  pipe  fell  to 
the  ground.  After  slipping  from  the  saddle 
and  waiting  for  the  last  set  of  fours  to  pass,  it 
lay  directly  in  front  of  the  General's  horse, 
which  he  checked  until  I  picked  it  up.  I  had 
the  medal  in  my  pocket,  and  when  running  to 
catch  the  horse,  thought  of  showing  it  to  him, 
but  changed  my  mind. 

After  going  through  the  pass  we  halted  for 
a  short  rest,  then  resumed  the  march  to  the 
terminus  of  the  railroad.  We  went  into  camp 


332        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

with  orders  to  remain  there  until  the  General 
returned  from  Washington. 

About  five  o'clock  he  was  on  the  platform 
at  the  depot,  where  he  met  Captain  Newton 
and  gave  him  a  dispatch  with  orders  to  return 
and  deliver  the  dispatch  the  next  day.  He 
said  he  had  received  important  information 
and  did  not  consider  it  safe  to  send  less  than 
a  full  company. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  until  one 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  October  i9th.  The 
Second  Ohio  was  on  picket.  The  booming  of 
cannon  as  they  appeared  to  be  leisurely  fired 
in  the  distance  did  not  disturb  the  Third  Di- 
vision where  they  lay  in  camp,  and  we  con- 
tinued to  change  reliefs  as  usual  until  about 
four,  when  the  roar  from  a  heavy  volley  of 
musketry,  accompanied  by  shouts  and  yells, 
told  the  sad  tale  of  a  surprise  by  the  enemy. 
The  attack  was  on  the  right  flank  of  the  in- 
fantry line  and  to  our  left.  We  got  into  the 
saddle  and  in  line  as  soon  as  possible.  On 
making  observations,  General  Custer  learned 
that  the  infantry  line  had  been  completely 
swept  away,  and  that  his  left  flank  was  ex- 
posed. He  proceeded  to  close  up  the  gap  at 
once.  The  enemy  after  making  the  first  as- 
sault, withdrew  from  the  point  of  attack.  We 
moved  across  the  ground  that  the  night  before 
had  been  the  camp  of  the  living  but  was  now 
the  camp  of  the  dead.  Many  tents  were  still 
standing,  and  the  ground  was  so  thickly  strewn 
with  bodies  that  the  column  was  compelled  to 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  333 

deploy  and  march  at  will.  The  dead  men 
were  all  in  their  underclothes,  having  been 
shot  before  they  had  time  to  dress. 

We  moved  to  the  pike  and  passed  through 
a  neck  of  woods.  Nearly  every  tree  was  the 
support  of  a  wounded  soldier  or  the  rest  for 
the  guns  of  those  who  did  not  intend  to  re- 
treat farther  without  showing  stubborn  resist- 
ance. 

They  were  unorganized,  but  they  said  they 
were  willing  to  fight  it  out  on  that  line.  We 
crossed  the  pike  and  formed  by  regiments, 
with  the  Second  Ohio  in'  the  front.  The  loca- 
tion was  a  valley  bordered  by  a  gentle  ridge, 
with  our  battalion  on  the  right  and  the  first 
squadron  in  front. 

We  threw  a  light  dismounted  line  to  lie 
near  the  top  of  the  ridge  to  observe  the  move- 
ment of  the  enemy,  and  the  boys  crawled  near 
enough  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  to  observe  the 
enemy  concentrating  in  front  of  them. 

We  dismounted  and  lay  down  in  open  ranks. 
General  Custer  with  two  brigades  formed  be- 
hind another  ridge.  Officers  were  continually 
riding  from  our  brigade  to  headquarters,  and 
brought  the  news  of  the  situation. 

Many  of  the  demoralized  corps  had  taken 
refuge  behind  a  stone  wall  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  in  the  rear  and  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  pike.  The  corps  that  had  occupied  the 
line  in  front  of  where  we  now  were  lay  in  line 
to  our  left  and  rear,  in  as  good  order  as  they 
ever  were,  with  the  exception  that  they  had 


334       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

abandoned  their  camp  and  supplies,  and  with 
the  support  of  the  cavalry  were  in  good  shape 
for  a  conflict. 

The  first  and  second  divisions  of  cavalry 
were  getting  into  position  on  the  opposite 
flank  of  the  infantry. 

The  sun  was  well  up,  and  the  enemy,  on  the 
alert,  detected  our  position  by  the  passing  of 
officers  across  the  ridge,  and  opened  on  us  with 
a  section  of  artillery.  It  so  happened  that  they 
got  the  range  on  our  battalion,  and  we  were 
ordered  to  mount  and  move  to  the  right. 

When  I  placed  my  foot  in  the  stirrup  I 
noticed  that  Billy  Pidgeon  was  on  the  right 
side  of  his  horse.  Just  as  my  weight  was 
thrown  on  the  stirrup,  Pidgeon  came  down  on 
my  back  and  set  me  on  the  ground  again.  A 
shell  had  passed  through  his  horse,  cutting 
the  left  stirrup  and  the  saddle  girth.  The  shell 
exploded  in  Company  I  and  wounded  two 
men.  Had  he  been  in  his  proper  position  the 
shell  would  have  taken  his  left  foot  off  at  the 
ankle.  We  moved,  and  left  a  gap  the  length 
of  the  squadron,  on  which  the  enemy  wasted 
many  shells. 

We  had  dismounted  when  we  heard  faint 
cheering  a  long  way  to  the  rear.  It  was  no 
doubt  the  stragglers  from  the  broken  corps 
who  were  cheering,  but  we  could  not  under- 
stand what  caused  them  to  cheer.  Had  they 
changed  their  minds  and  were  they  coming 
back?  Some  said  they  were  reinforcements, 
but  that  could  not  be,  for  no  troops  were  in 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  335 

the  Valley  except  those  at  the  front,  which 
dispelled  that  suggestion.  It  was  evident  that 
the  cheering  was  rapidly  nearing  us,  and  that 
the  enemy  had  discovered  our  ruse  and  were 
fast  getting  ranee  on  us. 

The  cheering  increased  and  was  now  very 
audible.  Men's  voices  could  separately  be 
distinguished  from  one  another.  In  a  moment 
more,  with  a  sudden  burst,  a  cheer  arose  from 
the  stone  wall  which  apparently  made  the  air 
tremble.  It  was  as  if  the  very  trees  had  been 
given  voices  to  join  in  the  tumult. 

As  we  lay  flat  on  the  ground  we  were 
ordered  to  mount,  and  when  we  rose  up  we 
saw  a  cloud  of  dust  at  the  end  of  the  stone  wall. 
By  the  time  we  were  in  the  saddle  someone 
said  that  it  was  Sheridan.  He  was  now  com- 
ing down  the  slope  about  five  hundred  yards 
from  us.  The  most  skeptical  could  not  fail  to 
believe  it  now.  I,  for  one,  was  loath  to  ac- 
knowledge it,  knowing  he  had  gone  to  Wash- 
ington by  the  other  route  and  presumed  he 
would  return  the  same  way.  There  was  only 
one  thing  that  gave  an  excuse  for  a  difference 
of  opinion  and  that  was  that  Sheridan  had  not 
been  seen  riding  a  white  horse  before;  but  the 
white  proved  to  be  only  foam  from  his  black 
horse. 

Sheridan  had  not  noticed  the  cavalry,  and 
was  speeding  bv  when  we  called  out  not  to  go 
any  farther,  that  the  enemy  was  over  the  hill. 
He  wheeled  to  the  left  and  exclaimed,  "  What 
is  this  cavalry  doing  here?  Move  right  out  of 


336        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

this!  Send  General  Custer  to  me!  "  Then  he 
struck  the  spurs  to  the  horse,  and  with  a  des- 
perate leap  that  threw  the  dirt  across  the  pike 
he  dashed  away. 

The  enemy  must  also  have  been  moved  by 
the  cheering,  for  the  guns  ceased  firing  at  that 
time. 

We  moved  out  over  the  same  ground  we 
had  come  in  the  morning,  and  crossed  the 
creek  near  where  we  had  been  on  picket.  We 
kept  to  the  right  of  the  ridge.  General  Custer 
was  hurrying  the  artillery,  and  they  passed  us 
on  the  gallop.  When  he  arrived  at  the  top  of 
the  ridge  in  full  view  of  the  enemy's  cavalry 
he  came  back  and  had  the  guns  turned  just 
far  enough  from  the  top  of  the  hill  that  the 
enemy  could  not  see  them.  They  were  un- 
limbered,  loaded,  and  a  company  of  cavalry 
dismounted  to  help  to  run  them  up.  The  cav- 
alry was  ordered  to  charge  as  soon  as  the  guns 
were  discharged.  The  order  was  carried  out, 
and  before  they  could  reload  we  were  on  the 
low  ground  on  the  other  side  of  the  ridge, 
driving  the  first  line  in.  The  shelling  was 
done  over  our  heads.  This  was  a  surprise  to 
our  adversaries.  We  were  moving  forward  to 
flank  the  army  and  they  fled.  We  reformed 
the  line  and  charged  again.  This  process  was 
kept  up  until  we  had  made  seven  charges.  An 
hour  passed  at  one  time  between  charges, 
when  it  was  said  that  Custer  had  gone  to  see 
Sheridan  and  report  in  person  the  advantage 
he  had  gained  over  the  enemy. 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  337 

During  that  time  the  battle  was  raging  at 
its  highest  pitch.  We  were  in  a  position  to 
see  the  infantry  line  from  the  creek  to  the  neck 
of  woods  previously  spoken  of,  and  they  were 
moving  at  a  quickstep  across  the  field  where 
the  troops  had  been  surprised  in  the  morning. 
The  enemy's  artillery  was  plowing  gaps 
through  them  with  grape.  To  judge  from  the 
number  that  were  dropping  the  musketry 
must  have  been  as  disastrous  as  the  artillery 
fire. 

We  were  to  the  right  of  them,  with  a  wide 
gap  between  their  right  and  the  cavalry's  left. 
The  ground  was  controlled  by  us  from  the 
fact  that  we  had  long-range  guns  and  could 
move  quickly.  By  the  time  that  line  passed 
out  of  sight  behind  the  woods  that  skirted  the 
creek,  Custer  made  his  appearance,  and  the 
trumpet  sounded.  We  advanced  until  we 
crossed  the  pike  in  front  of  Early's  wagon- 
train.  When  the  teamsters  saw  us  coming  up 
the  slope  they  began  to  turn  around.  Some 
of  them  upset  their  wagons,  but  we  were  right 
on  them,  and  the  panic  was  there  also. 

Early's  right  wing  had  been  hurled  back  on 
the  pike  by  the  cavalry  of  the  other  division, 
and  when  they  saw  Ouster's  long  column  com- 
ing up  the  slope,  they  hoisted  the  white  flag. 
General  Custer  led  that  charge,  and  when  he 
crossed  the  pike,  he  turned  down  the  line  of 
wagons  and  appeared  to  forget  his  position. 
He  was  giving  orders  to  the  teamsters  to  get 
off  their  mules. 


338        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

I  saw  the  enemy,  and  when  he  turned 
around  I  told  him  they  had  surrendered,  and 
pointed  to  the  white  flag.  It  was  now  sun- 
down and  the  smoke  made  things  look  dark. 
I  could  see  the  enemy  leaving  their  ranks  with 
their  guns  and  running  toward  the  creek.  I 
turned  to  the  left  and  cut  them  off.  The  lead- 
ers were  scattering,  but  grew  numerous  as 
they  extended  back  to  the  ranks.  They  were 
leaving  by  dozens,  but  when  they  saw  the 
leaders  throw  down  their  guns  they  did  like- 
wise, returned  to  their  ranks,  and  were 
counted  with  the  prisoners.  The  interception 
of  so  many  brave  men  by  one  man  would  ap- 
pear not  only  dangerous  but  fatal  under  ordi- 
nary conditions,  but  in  this  case  there  was  not 
much  risk.  The  fleeing  men  were  under  truce, 
and  to  fire  one  shot,  as  they  were  aware,  would 
be  a  violation  of  the  truce.  Although  it  might 
kill  the  lone  man,  it  would  also  be  fatal  to 
them  and  their  comrades,  as  it  would  be  re- 
opening hostilities. 

When  Custer  saw  the  white  flag  he  ordered 
one  regiment  to  file  in  rear  of  the  prisoners, 
and  the  first  brigade,  which  was  ours,  to  go 
into  camp  and  unsaddle.  With  one  regiment 
he  rode  down  the  pike,  taking  possession  of 
the  captured  train  as  far  back  as  the  bridge  at 
the  foot  of  Fisher's  Hill. 

There  was  no  wood  to  be  had  to  make  coffee. 
It  is  quoted  in  the  "  History  of  Ohio  in  the 
War  "  that  the  Second  Ohio  Cavalry  went  into 
camp  that  night  without  their  supper.  This 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  339 

narrative  will  tell  you  that  the  whole  division 
went  into  camp  without  breakfast,  dinner,  or 
supper.  Had  the  Third  Division  been  com- 
manded by  a  man  of  less  prowess  than  Custer 
the  troops  that  surrendered,  with  all  night  be- 
fore them,  would  have  joined  Early  at  Fish- 
er's Hill,  and  escaped. 

The  division  moved  to  wood  and  water 
early  next  morning,  and  after  breakfast  en- 
gaged the  enemy's  cavalry,  driving  them  a  few 
miles  up  the  Valley,  and  then  returned  to  the 
old  camp. 

On  the  aist  the  Second  Ohio  went  on  picket 
on  the  same  ground  we  occupied  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  iQth.  On  the  morning  of  the  2ad, 
after  my  relief  had  come  into  the  reserve  from 
the  vidette  line,  at  four  o'clock,  I  lay  down, 
and  had  just  gone  to  sleep,  when  someone 
called  me  and  told  me  to  get  up,  that  my  fur- 
lough had  come.  No  time  was  lost  in  report- 
ing to  the  Captain,  who  told  me  to  get  ready 
and  report  to  Major  Nettleton,  and  go  with 
him  to  Martinsburg,  where  we  would  take 
the  train  for  home. 

One  of  the  boys  had  a  revolver  he  wanted 
to  send  home.  Another  had  a  carbine  he  had 
picked  up  on  the  battlefield,  which  he  gave 
me,  and  I  turned  mine  over  to  the  quarter- 
master-sergeant, and  reported  to  the  Major  as 
soon  as  possible. 

He  was  at  his  quarters  in  the  brigade  camp, 
busy  preparing  for  the  journey.  While  wait- 
ing, I  examined  my  furlough,  which  was 


34-O       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

signed  by  Major  Nettleton,  Lieutenant-Col- 
onel Purrington,  General  Custer,  General 
Talbot,  and  General  Sheridan,  who  had  cut  it 
down  to  thirty  days.  A  few  days  later  a  gen- 
eral order,  issued  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  was 
read  to  the  army,  that  anyone  capturing  a  flag 
would  be  awarded  a  medal  and  given  thirty 
days'  furlough. 

When  the  Major  left  his  tent  he  had  several 
men  to  see,  but  he  did  not  have  to  go  to  the 
picket  line,  for  the  men  he  talked  to  were  con- 
spicuous for  their  absence  from  the  front.  I 
was  too  thick-headed  to  note  the  significance 
of  these  calls,  only  that  it  was  a  peculiar  coin- 
cidence that  the  Major  who  had  recently  been 
in  command  of  the  regiment  was  so  intimate 
and  had  special  business  with  so  many  men 
that  could  neither  acquire  nor  hold  up  the 
standing  or  reputation  of  the  regiment. 

We  stopped  for  the  night  at  Winchester, 
and  called  on  another  of  his  friends,  who  was 
quartered  there  with  a  double-walled  tent,  by 
what  privilege  or  authority  I  am  unable  to 
say,  but  to  our  way  of  thinking  it  was  not  in 
accordance  with  the  true  soldier  at  the  front. 
The  Major  and  his  friend  occupied  one  room 
and  I  the  other.  The  orderly  slept  in  the 
stable. 

The  next  night,  we  stopped  at  a  hotel  in 
Martinsburg.  The  travel  at  that  time  was 
enormous  and  a  bed  was  not  to  be  had  in  town. 
The  clerk  said  they  had  one  lounge  unoc- 
cupied, and  the  Major  engaged  that.  I  lay 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  341 

on  the  floor  with  a  half-dozen  more  late  ar- 
rivals. 

Our  train  departed  at  two  o'clock.  We 
boarded  it  and  went  on  our  way  homeward. 
As  I  sat  in  the  easy  seat  I  said  to  myself :  "  You 
are  very  fortunate  in  getting  a  furlough.  That 
is  the  third  one  since  the  order  has  been  issued 
from  the  War  Department  that  no  furloughs 
be  given.  Thousands  of  men  have  not  had 
even  one  leave  to  see  their  home  and  friends." 
Then  my  mind  reverted  to  the  toils  and  priva- 
tions we  had  undergone.  I  thought  of  the  day 
on  which  I  applied  for  that  leave,  and  follow- 
ing the  time  along  I  counted  six  skirmishes 
and  one  heavy,  decisive  battle  in  which  I  had 
participated,  before  the  furlough  was  prop- 
erly granted  that  would  permit  one  humble 
soldier  to  leave  his  post  of  duty  at  the  front. 
Then  the  conversation  of  the  night  before 
passed  like  a  vision  before  me,  and  I  was  sound 
asleep. 

After  staying  at  home  thirty  days  I  returned 
to  Martinsburg.  The  snow  was  boot-top  deep. 
I  attempted  to  find  the  commanding  officer, 
and  was  directed  from  one  place  to  another, 
but  I  failed  to  overtake  him.  I  tramped  about 
until  I  was  tired,  and  then  I  fell  in  with  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers  on  their  way  to  Harper's 
Ferry.  With  no  blankets  I  lay  down  in  the  box 
car  during  the  bitter  cold  night.  In  the  morn- 
ing I  climbed  over  snow  banks  to  Sandy  Hook, 
and  reported  to  the  commanding  officer  of 
Camp  Remount. 


342       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

He  directed  me  to  the  line  of  tents  occupied 
by  the  dismounted  men  of  the  Third  Division, 
where  some  of  our  company  boys  were.  I 
bunked  with  them.  Tramping  through  the 
snow  with  wet  feet,  and  lying  in  the  cold  had 
brought  on  a  severe  toothache,  and  by  the  ad- 
vice of  my  bunky  I  took  my  first  chew  of 
tobacco  to  relieve  it,  and  became  an  inveterate 
chewer  from  that  time  on. 

After  remaining  there  a  few  days  we  were 
mounted,  equipped,  marched  to  the  front,  and 
reported  to  the  regiment  on  December  191)1. 
We  learned  to  our  surprise  and  disgust  that  the 
former  Major  Nettleton  was  now  lieutenant- 
colonel,  and  all  the  men  he  had  called  on  the 
day  we  left  the  front  had  been  promoted  to 
commissioned  officers.  There  was  much  dis- 
satisfaction throughout  the  regiment  on  ac- 
count of  such  methods. 

Men  and  officers  from  all  parts  of  the  regi- 
ment called  on  me  to  express  their  opinions. 
They  all  told  me  they  had  expected  to  see  me 
return  with  a  commission.  This  frank  expres- 
sion appeared  odd  to  me,  as  the  matter  had 
never  occurred  to  me  in  that  light.  The  men 
and  officers  were  unreserved,  and  many  were 
bitter  in  their  denunciation  of  Nettleton,  and 
one  captain  who  was  noted  for  faithful  duty 
and  gallantry  in  action,  advised  me  to  go  into 
no  more  actions  with  the  regiment,  declaring 
he  had  performed  his  last  duty  unless  some 
unexpected  change  took  place.  As  I  was  a 


Battle  of  Cedar  Creek  343 

soldier  from  a  sense  of  duty  rather  than 
choice,  I  considered  the  proposition  as  un- 
worthy the  notice  of  the  citizen-soldier,  al- 
though I  regarded  with  contempt  those  who 
sought  and  gained  undue  advantage  over  their 
comrades  in  arms. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

CUSTER'S  RAID 

THE  division  was  then  under  march- 
ing orders,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
20th  moved  out  up  the  Valley,  and 
on  the  22d  camped  at  Lacy's  Springs. 
Our  brigade  passed  the  house,  a  wayside  inn, 
where   General    Custer   had   established   his 
headquarters.     Two   brigades,   the  artillery, 
and  wagon-train,  camped  without  passing  the 
house,  but  our  brigade  passed  and  turned  into 
an  open  field.    It  was  a  beautiful  evening,  but 
turned  cold  during  the  night  and  snowed  about 
eight  inches,  on  top  of  which  a  crust  froze 
strong  enough  to  bear  a  horse's  weight. 

The  trumpets  sounded  at  three  o'clock.  We 
broke  the  crust  from  over  our  heads,  and 
turned  the  saddles  over  on  top  of  the  crust, 
which  gave  room  to  crawl  out  without  break- 
ing it  over  the  bed,  leaving  the  bed  in  pretty 
good  condition  to  crawl  into  after  putting  the 
saddles  on  the  horses. 

A  number  of  rails  were  near  by,  and  some 
of  the  men  built  fires,  and  stood  around  them ; 
but  the  wind  was  blowing  a  gale  and  the  snow 
was  melting  around  the  fires,  so  they  could  not 
get  much  benefit  from  them.  We  had 

344 


Ouster's  Raid  345 

crawled  into  bed  and  were  asleep  when  the 
sound  of  musketry  startled  the  camp. 

We  came  out  in  a  hurry,  threw  our  blankets 
loose  across  the  saddle,  put  on  the  bridle,  and 
were  ready  in  a  few  minutes,  but  not  before 
General  Custer  was  up  at  full  speed  on  a  bare- 
backed steed,  calling  for  the  Second  Ohio. 
He  was  answered  by  hundreds  of  voices, 
"Here,  here!" 

"  Charge  to  the  pike!  They're  coming  that 
way,"  he  ordered. 

We  were  in  line  by  battalions.  The  right  of 
each  rested  at  the  top  of  the  sloping  ground. 
We  wheeled  by  fours,  each  of  the  three 
columns  facing  the  pike  and  going  at  full 
speed. 

The  movement  was  made  in  great  haste,  for 
we  could  now  hear  the  clatter  of  horses  com- 
ing down  the  icy  pike  at  full  speed.  There 
was  slipping  and  sliding,  but  the  horses  kept 
their  balance  all  right  until  we  neared  the 
fence  that  separated  the  pike  and  field.  There 
some  attempted  to  check  the  speed  of  the 
horses,  and  then  there  was  tumbling  in  all 
directions.  On  seeing  the  danger  some  con- 
cluded to  take  their  chances  for  all  or  nothing, 
and  go  over  the  fence  without  checking  their 
speed. 

The  enemy  was  now  passing,  and  when  we  lit 
in  the  pike  we  cut  them  into  two  parts.  Those 
on  our  right  turned  back  and  the  advance  kept 
on.  My  horse  cleared  the  fence,  and  when  he 
hit  the  ice  he  slid  across  the  pike  into  the  other 


346        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

fence  with  force  enough  to  wreck  it.  It 
doubled  him  in  a  heap,  but  soon  he  scrambled 
to  his  feet.  The  clatter  that  was  sounding  in 
the  battalion  to  our  right  told  the  tale  of  saber 
strokes.  When  my  horse  had  straightened  out 
the  enemy  had  gone  out  of  sight. 

But  few  shots  had  been  fired  in  this  last  en- 
counter and  there  had  been  but  few  casualties. 
We  went  into  camp  and  picked  up  the  scat- 
tered things,  then  cooked  coffee,  and  after 
breakfast,  with  our  brigade  in  advance,  we 
marched  out  on  the  back  track,  leaving  one 
brigade  to  bury  the  dead  and  move  out  later 
in  the  day. 

The  attack  had  been  made  on  the  wagon- 
train.  The  enemy  had  evaded  the  pickets  dur- 
ing the  snow  storm,  crossed  the  woods  and 
fields,  and  the  first  alarm  was  the  volley  fired 
into  the  train,  killing  some  teamsters.  Their 
command  divided,  part  driving  away  some 
stock,  and  the  others  went  to  capture  General 
Custer.  He  was  not  napping,  and  when  they 
captured  his  sentinel  he  heard  the  demand, 
ran  out  the  back  way,  mounted  his  horse,  and 
by  going  out  the  back  gate  evaded  them  and 
was  able  to  join  his  command.  Having  failed 
in  their  purpose  they  were  endeavoring  to  es- 
cape up  the  pike. 

It  turned  bitter  cold  during  the  day,  and 
as  we  passed  over  Fisher's  Hill  it  appeared  as 
if  the  wind  was  not  checked  by  our  clothing 
but  passed  right  through.  It  was  impossible 
to  hold  one's  head  up  and  face  the  gale.  We 


Ouster's  Raid  347 

walked  and  led,  keeping  close  to  the  horses 
to  break  the  wind  from  our  faces. 

Forty  men  were  disabled  in  our  regiment  by 
freezing.  It  was  said  that  a  greater  number 
was  frozen  in  every  other  regiment  in  the 
division. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

WINTER  QUARTERS 

WE  arrived  near  Winchester  on  De- 
cember 24th,  with  orders  to  build 
winter  quarters.    Among  the  squads 
from  Camp  Remount  and  hospitals 
were  several  men,  most  of  whom  had  been 
with  the  wagon-train  during  the  last  raid,  and 
joined  the  company  during  the  day,  and  who, 
as  old  partners,  now  came  together  and  broke 
up  the  temporary  messes. 

I  had  no  partner,  but  had  been  sleeping  with 
Woodburn  while  on  the  raid.  He  now  joined 
his  regular  partner,  Sergeant  Sawyer,  who 
had  bunked  temporarily  with  Pidgeon,  both 
having  just  joined  the  company.  That  put 
Pidgeon  and  me  without  regular  partners,  and 
we  joined  together.  A  full  mess  was  made, 
but  we  were  without  any  cooking  utensils  or 
tools  to  work  with.  We  borrowed  a  coffee-pot 
and  frying-pan  after  the  others  were  through, 
and  did  likewise  for  breakfast  in  the  morning. 
We  sat  down  on  our  saddles  to  eat  our  Christ- 
mas breakfast,  which  was  disposed  of  without 
a  word  spoken.  Each  was  wrapped  in  his  own 
thoughts.  When  Pidgeon  picked  up  the  cof- 
fee-pot to  return  it  to  the  owner  the  silence  was 
broken  by  Woodburn,  who  said  that  the  pros- 
pect was  rather  blue,  as  everyone  would  be 

348 


Winter  Quarters  349 

using  his  ax  and  hatchet,  and  there  would 
be  no  chance  to  borrow.  I  replied  that  it  was 
so  much  the  better,  as  it  would  throw  us  on  our 
own  resources  and  we  would  have  to  hustle 
to  get  tools  of  our  own.  Commissary-Sergeant 
Sawyer  being  excused  from  all  such  duty,  the 
other  three  of  us  saddled  up  and  started  out  in 
search  of  something  to  work  with. 

We  rode  together  for  a  mile,  discussing  our 
odd  situation,  and  then  separated.  When  we 
reported  to  camp,  Woodburn  had  an  ax,  Pid- 
geon  had  an  iron  kettle,  and  I  had  an  iron 
plate  for  the  back  of  the  fireplace,  with  a  bar 
for  the  arch  and  a  chain  to  drag  the  logs  with, 
which  I  secured  from  an  old  chimney  stand- 
ing where  there  had  once  been  a  house.  We 
bought  a  coffee-pot  and  frying-pan,  borrowed 
a  collar  from  a  teamster,  and  we  were  now  the 
best  fitted  out  of  any  mess  in  the  company. 
After  dinner  we  began  our  task.  Pidgeon 
and  Woodburn  cut  logs,  while  I  rigged  up  a 
harness  on  my  new  horse.  The  horse  was  a 
light  cream  color,  sixteen  hands  high,  and  he 
had  a  rat  tail,  and  a  mane  only  an  inch  and  a 
half  long.  We  called  him  Claybank. 

We  hauled  logs  before  night,  and  on  the 
morning  of  January  i,  1865,  we  moved  into 
our  finished  quarters,  the  first  mess  housed  in 
the  camp.  We  then  had  an  ax  to  lend  to  those 
that  had  none. 

The  next  day  Sergeant  Sawyer  received  a 
Christmas  box  from  home,  containing  turkey, 
cake,  jelly,  and  delicacies  too  numerous  to 


350       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

mention.  We  lived  high  for  a  week,  and 
realized  that  with  all  the  misfortunes  there 
was  also  some  small  good  fortune  in  war. 

Our  winter  quarters  were  laid  off  fronting 
on  a  straight  line,  with  cabins  8x12,  and 
walls  six  feet  high,  with  chimney  and  door  in 
front  gable  and  two  bunks  across  the  back  end. 
Our  tents  formed  the  roofs.  A  large  oak  tree 
was  on  the  line  of  the  walls  of  our  cabin.  In 
selecting  lots  this  lot  had  been  left  on  account 
of  the  tree.  Our  mess  was  unorganized  at 
the  time  of  the  assignment,  and  had  to  take 
Hobson's  choice,  but  this  proved  an  advantage 
rather  than  a  detriment.  We  cut  a  notch  in 
the  tree  for  the  top  log  or  plate,  and  hung 
the  door  on  the  tree,  which  gave  us  a  side 
entrance  with  full  width  of  the  gable  for  a 
fireplace  by  pinning  the  end  of  the  other  logs 
to  the  other  side  of  the  tree. 

Our  duty  during  our  stay  in  winter  quarters 
was  light.  General  Sheridan  was  fitting  out 
the  cavalry  corps  as  but  few  knew  how.  The 
horses  were  kept  well  shod,  with  plenty  of 
forage,  and  had  good  care. 

The  pickets  were  stationed  from  six  to  ten 
miles  out,  in  details  of  fifty  men,  on  the  main 
road,  where  they  remained  three  days.  I  was 
entrusted  with  this  duty  twice  during  the 
eighty  days.  On  one  of  these  turns  I  committed 
a  blunder.  We  were  on  the  Valley  pike  with 
one  reserve  in  the  woods,  a  half  mile  away, 
with  a  vidette  line  half  a  mile  in  front,  out  of 
sight  from  the  reserve,  and  also  hid  from  any- 


Winter  Quarters  351 

one  passing  along  the  pike  by  a  strip  of  woods 
that  skirted  the  points  of  hills  divided  by 
small  ravines.  A  vidette  was  stationed  on 
each  point.  It  was  my  custom  to  inspect  the 
line  twice  a  day.  On  going  out  in  the  evening 
I  missed  Wakefield,  who  had  been  stationed 
on  the  point  nearest  the  pike.  This  point  hid 
the  pike  from  view  directly  opposite.  I  heard 
loud  talk  and  the  rumbling  of  wheels.  At 
first  thought  my  mind  was  made  up  that  he 
had  been  captured  and  the  enemy  was  making 
off  with  him.  This  mistake  arose  from  the 
fact  that  I  was  not  informed  about  the  position 
of  the  enemy  in  the  Valley. 

I  wheeled  about  without  second  thought,  got 
the  men  in  line,  sent  a  message  into  headquar- 
ters, and  sent  a  corporal  with  a  squad  to  in- 
vestigate. When  they  went  to  the  point  they 
found  Wakefield  on  duty.  He  explained  that 
he  saw  the  wagons  coming  from  Winchester 
with  women  and  children  in  them,  and  he  left 
the  post  and  went  to  talk  with  them.  It  was 
ration  dav  and  they  had  been  to  town  to  draw 
rations.  The  Government  was  then  feeding 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Valley. 

His  absence  was  a  breach  of  orders,  for  we 
had  no  order  to  demand  passes  from  anyone. 
But  nothing  was  said  about  it,  for  Wakefield 
was  never  known  to  shirk  a  duty  and  was 
always  in  the  front  line;  but  he  could  not  re- 
sist the  temptation  of  a  conversation  whenever 
he  saw  a  sunbonnet.  It  was  a  lesson,  and  we 
guarded  against  similar  trouble  in  future. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

JAMES  RIVER  CANAL  RAID 

AT  retreat  the  Captain  notified  the  com- 
pany that  all  men  unable  to  march 
on  a  long  raid  should  report  their  dis- 
ability at  once,  and  that  all  those  with 
disabled  horses  would  change  with  the  dis- 
abled men,  who  would  turn  the  horses  in  and 
go  to  division  hospital.    Those  able  for  duty 
were  to  be  ready  to  march  at  seven  o'clock  in 
the  morning. 

That  notice  was  all  sufficient,  for  we  would 
now  move  better  with  an  hour's  notice  than 
we  could  have  moved  with  ten  days'  notice 
in  1861.  We  knew  just  what  we  could  carry, 
and  how  to  pack  it  to  carry  it  well.  Every- 
thing was  ready,  and  at  the  appointed  time  we 
marched  out  of  the  woods  and  left  the  cabins 
that  had  sheltered  us  for  the  winter. 

We  formed  with  the  brigade  on  an  open 
field  near  Winchester,  where  the  Third  Di- 
vision rendezvoused.  The  snow  was  yet  on 
the  ground  in  sheltered  spots,  but  had  disap- 
peared with  the  frost  on  the  open  ground. 
The  horses  sank  half-way  to  their  knees  in 
mud.  The  unserviceable  and  surplus  equi- 
page and  trains  were  left  to  be  taken  care  of 
by  officers  assigned  to  that  duty. 

352 


James  River  Canal  Raid  353 

With  General  Custer  as  advance,  our  delay 
was  short,  and  we  moved  out  on  the  Valley 
pike,  where  the  traveling  was  good. 

When  the  column  arrived  at  the  Shenan- 
doah  River  we  found  it  very  much  swollen 
and  very  swift.  It  was  difficult  to  cross.  Pon- 
toons had  to  be  laid  to  cross  the  artillery 
and  train.  Owing  to  the  width  and  one 
sloping  bank,  it  was  necessary  to  lay  it  some 
distance  from  the  ford,  which  made  it  neces- 
sary to  leave  the  pike  with  the  train.  In  many 
places  the  wagons  went  down  to  the  axles  in 
the  soft  ground,  and  the  wheels  went  very 
deep  at  all  places.  The  column  was  delayed 
very  much  and  would  move  up  a  few  rods 
and  halt.  This  was  repeated  time  after  time, 
which  was  evidence  that  some  obstacles  had 
to  be  overcome. 

At  last  our  brigade,  which  had  been  march- 
ing in  the  rear,  formed  by  regiments  on  a  hill 
overlooking  the  ford,  and  witnessed  men  and 
horses  floating  down  the  river  and  struggling 
for  life.  Few  were  able  to  extricate  them- 
selves. We  detected  at  once  that  they  were 
endeavoring  to  do  something  they  had  no  ex- 
perience in.  Not  more  than  a  dozen  had  ef- 
fected a  landing,  and  as  manv  men  and  horses 
had  found  a  watery  grave.  The  army  in  the 
East  had  no  experience  in  this  line.  Our  boys 
said  when  they  had  seen  them  turn  around  and 
come  back  two  or  three  times,  that  they  would 
have  to  get  the  Second  Ohio  to  show  them 
how  to  swim. 


354       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  staff  officers  told  General  Pennington, 
the  brigade  commander,  that  the  Second  Ohio 
could  cross.  He  replied  that  if  the  Second 
Ohio  could  cross  any  other  regiment  could 
cross.  After  several  unsuccessful  attempts  he 
gave  it  up  and  said  he  would  wait  for  the 
pontoons,  and  reported  his  decision  to  General 
Custer,  who  took  exception  to  this  delay,  and 
ordered  him  to  cross  his  brigade  at  the  ford. 
He  was  now  compelled  to  call  on  the  Second 
Ohio. 

Captain  Newton  was  ordered  to  advance 
with  his  company.  There  was  not  a  company 
in  the  regiment  that  would  not  have  been 
proud  to  have  the  distinction,  but  they  all 
knew  the  ability  of  our  captain,  and  had  no 
fear  or  doubts  as  to  our  success.  The  banks 
of  the  river  were  crowded  with  officers  and 
men  on  the  side  where  we  entered,  and  the 
few  that  had  landed  on  the  other  side,  a  part 
of  whom  were  trying  to  rescue  a  struggling 
man  that  was  floating  down  near  the  bank. 

We  were  acquainted  with  the  ford,  having 
crossed  it  at  low-water  mark.  A  bar  or  riffle 
ran  in  a  circuitous  course  from  above  the  ford 
on  the  side  we  entered,  and  was  cut  off  on  the 
other  side  by  the  current  below  the  landing. 
The  riffle  was  now  covered  with  swimming 
water  most  of  the  way.  The  current  was  deep 
and  running  against  a  perpendicular  bank,  ex- 
cept a  space  wide  enough  for  a  wagon.  This 
space  had  been  graded  up  the  bank.  To  miss 
that  narrow  landing  was  to  drift  down  to  take 


James  River  Canal  Raid  355 

desperate  chances  for  one's  self  and  sure  death 
to  the  horse,  for  there  was  no  place  for  his 
escape. 

Our  captain  uttered  but  one  sentence: 
"  Keep  closed  up,  boys;  and  support  me." 

The  landing  being  high  up  the  river,  it  was 
necessary  to  gain  not  only  that  distance  but 
what  we  would  lose  in  drifting  with  the  cur- 
rent after  reaching  swimming  water.  The 
Captain  turned  up  stream,  as  soon  as  the  horse 
entered  the  water,  and  with  spurs  at  the  horses' 
sides  we  closed  on  each  side  with  shoulder  to 
his  horse  to  support  him.  He  forced  his  way 
against  water  so  rapid  that  it  threw  white 
caps  as  it  whirled  about  the  horses'  necks  and 
shoulders. 

At  this  move  the  crowd  went  wild.  They 
thought  they  saw  our  fatal  mistake.  Thou- 
sands of  voices  broke  forth  with  shouts,  wav- 
ing hands  and  hats :  "  Turn  down,  turn 
down!" 

Such  a  tumult  would  have  turned  the  head 
of  a  less  considerate  man  than  Captain  New- 
ton. He  did  not  take  his  eye  from  his  course. 
They  were  almost  in  reach  of  us.  We  pushed 
on.  There  was  not  a  break  as  we  crowded 
against  the  almost  irresistible  force  of  the  cur- 
rent, but  experience  had  taught  us  that  to 
break  that  current  was  the  secret  to  success. 
It  was  easy  for  those  to  travel  on  the  lower 
side  if  those  on  the  upper  side  were  able  to 
advance;  and,  gradually  turning  into  the 
stream,  we  were  soon  afloat.  Every  man 


356        Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

turned  his  horse's  head  up  stream  as  soon  as 
the  water  took  him  from  his  feet.  This  was 
no  experiment  with  the  old  members  of  the 
regiment,  of  whom  there  were  enough  to  con- 
trol the  movements  of  the  new  ones.  As  soon 
as  the  horse  is  lifted  from  his  feet  he  begins 
to  swim  and  is  safe  to  tie  to;  but  as  soon  as 
he  touches  bottom,  in  his  efforts  to  walk,  he 
plunges  and  rears  up.  This  is  the  critical 
time  for  his  rider. 

We  gained  enough  by  fording  against  the 
current  to  land  safely,  and  the  regiment 
crossed  in  an  unbroken  column,  with  but  one 
accident  caused  by  an  unruly  horse.  The 
horse  was  determined  not  to  take  the  water, 
left  the  column,  and  by  plunging  about  suc- 
ceeded in  dismounting  the  trooper  in  shallow 
water. 

The  division  crossed  and  the  march  con- 
tinued. Nothing  of  importance  occurred  un- 
til we  approached  Waynesboro. 

We  were  marching  near  the  rear  of  the 
column,  and  heard  the  cannonading  some  dis- 
tance in  front  that  told  us  the  advance  had 
encountered  something  more  than  a  crib  of 
corn  or  a  haystack.  We  moved  up  and  formed 
in  rear  of  the  troops  already  engaged,  and 
judged  from  what  little  we  could  see  that  the 
opposing  forces  were  in  close  proximity  to 
each  other. 

General  Custer's  headquarters  were  on  the 
same  ground  on  which  the  Fifth  New  York 
and  Second  Ohio  had  been  surrounded  in  Oc- 


James  River  Canal  Raid  357 

tobef,  1864.  Three  regiments,  the  Second 
Ohio,  First  Connecticut,  and  Fifth  New  York, 
were  detached  from  the  main  command  and 
moved  off  to  the  right.  After  traveling  or 
rather  plunging  through  the  soft  mud  a  mile 
and  a  half,  we  dismounted  and  the  horses  were 
sent  back  to  the  brigade.  We  were  then  in  a 
wide  ravine  that  extended  to  South  River.  It 
was  bordered  with  timber  except  in  one  place, 
the  mouth  of  another  swale  that  entered  from 
our  left  and  skirted  by  a  low  ridge  on  which 
the  enemy's  line  was  deployed. 

When  we  came  in  front  of  that  open  place, 
the  enemy,  secreted  in  the  timber,  who  had 
not  yet  been  discovered  by  us,  opened  fire. 
With  the  customary  yell  we  went  directly  for 
the  point  or  junction  of  the  two  open  places. 
Where  the  enemy  was  the  ridge  was  covered 
with  trees  and  large  boulders.  We  fired  as  we 
ran,  until  half-way  up  the  side  of  the  ridge, 
which  was  so  steep  we  were  compelled  to  halt 
and  rest  after  our  run  through  the  mud.  The 
enemy  was  loath  to  leave  that  position,  pro- 
tected by  boulders  and  trees.  They  kept  up 
a  desultory  firing,  which  was  answered  by  our 
carbines. 

When  the  order  was  given  to  advance  we 
sprang  to  our  feet,  and  their  line  gave  way  in 
front  of  us.  The  firing  and  calls  from  us  to 
surrender  compelled  most  of  them  to  take 
shelter  behind  trees  and  to  throw  down  their 
guns.  When  we  were  out  of  the  timber  in  the 
open  ground  to  our  left  we  could  see  the  smoke 


358        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

of  the  guns  as  they  fired  from  the  left  of 
Early's  earthworks. 

We  realized  that  we  were  now  in  the  rear 
of  Early's  army.  Had  we  been  mounted  not 
one  would  have  been  able  to  make  his  escape. 
An  open  field  was  in  front  of  us,  about  five 
hundred  yards  wide,  with  a  fence  the  end 
which  terminated  near  Early's  line  and  ran 
toward  the  river  and  parallel  with  the  street 
of  Waynesboro,  and  about  three  hundred 
yards  in  the  rear  of  the  village. 

A  man  was  running  down  by  the  fence  to 
my  left.  I  called  halt  several  times,  but  he 
would  not  halt.  I  fired  and  he  dropped  down. 
As  I  came  near  him  he  said,  "  My  God,  you 
have  shot  me !  " 

There  was  no  assurance  that  he  was 
wounded,  and  as  I  did  not  intend  he  should 
wound  me,  I  replied,  "  I  know  it,  and  don't 
raise  your  hand  or  you  will  get  another." 

I  asked  him  why  he  had  not  halted  in  time, 
and  picked  up  his  gun  and  raised  it  up  to 
break  it.  He  told  me  not  to  do  that.  I  asked 
him  why,  and  he  said,  "  Take  it  and  use  it, 
we  do."  With  a  crash  it  came  to  the  ground, 
breaking  the  stock.  I  tossed  it  over  the  fence. 
Patting  my  gun,  I  said  we  had  something  bet- 
ter, and  started  to  intercept  some  men  that 
were  now  running  from  the  village  toward 
the  river.  He  begged  me  not  to  leave  him, 
saying  they  would  kill  him.  I  told  him  they 
would  send  an  ambulance  and  take  care  of 
him.  "  You  seem  a  clever  sort  of  fellow," 


James  River  Canal  Raid  359 

he  said.  After  assuring  him  that  they  were  all 
like  me,  I  left  him.  A  few  rods  from  that 
place  was  a  jog  in  the  fence,  with  a  pair  of  bars 
that  opened  into  a  lane.  When  I  arrived  at  the 
bars,  two  men  that  had  hid  in  the  fence  corner 
rose  up  and  stepped  to  the  middle  of  the  lane. 
Their  looks  showed  that  they  had  no  intention 
of  giving  up ;  but  I  had  the  drop  on  them  with 
my  gun  over  the  bars.  I  demanded  their  sur- 
render, but  they  repeatedly  made  motions  to 
bring  their  guns  into  position.  They  were 
greeted  each  time  with  an  injunction  not  to 
do  it.  I  also  told  them  to  throw  down  their 
guns  and  step  ten  paces  in  front  of  them, 
They  made  a  move  to  run,  but  I  insisted  that 
they  obey  orders,  which  they  finally  did. 
Here  I  concluded  to  do  something  that  I  had 
never  done  before  and  which  I  had  always  dis- 
couraged in  others  whenever  talked  about.  I 
had  recently  heard  of  some  depredations  of 
the  kind  perpetrated  by  the  enemy,  and  I  felt 
like  retaliating. 

I  told  them  to  disgorge,  and  got  one  pocket- 
knife,  a  leather  pocket-book  with  two  twenty- 
dollar  Confederate  bills,  some  Southern 
poetry,  and  a  ring  which  they  said  was  made 
of  a  Yankee's  bone. 

By  that  time  one  of  the  boys  had  come  up. 
We  told  the  prisoners  to  go  to  where  the 
wounded  man  was.  A  crowd  was  then  gath- 
ered about  him.  We  started  on,  and  my  com- 
panion said  he  had  seen  two  men  enter  a  black- 
smith shop  that  stood  by  the  lane.  We  went 


360        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

in  and  pulled  two  men  from  under  the  bel- 
lows. One  was  an  Irishman,  the  first  Irish 
Johnnie  we  had  ever  seen.  After  breaking  the 
guns  we  kept  down  the  lane  on  the  run.  The 
crowd  came  on  behind  us.  The  fence  on  the 
left  did  not  extend  to  the  river,  but  the  one  on 
the  right  did.  A  cabin  stood  near  the  end  of 
the  lane.  The  ground  to  the  left  was  open, 
and  men  scattered  all  over  it,  running  and  en- 
tering the  brush  that  skirted  the  river. 

We  were  calling  halt  to  them,  and  opposite 
me  was  one  with  a  fine  flag.  I  called  out  to 
drop  that  flag,  and  the  flag  went  to  the  ground, 
but  the  man  kept  running.  We  did  not  shoot, 
for  we  thought  they  must  ultimately  sur- 
render. To  shoot  would  slacken  our  pace,  and 
to  hit  them  would  be  the  wanton  taking  of  life. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  bank  some  were 
jumping  into  the  river  and  some  were  climb- 
ing out  on  the  other  side. 

In  front  of  us  was  a  boy  about  seventeen 
years  old,  on  an  island  not  much  larger  than 
an  army  wagon,  situated  in  the  middle  of  the 
river.  He  was  dressed  in  a  new  uniform  of 
fine  gray  cloth  and  nicely  trimmed  with  black 
silk  braid.  When  I  appeared  on  the  river 
bank  he  threw  his  musket  into  the  water  and 
was  about  to  follow  it.  A  demand  not  to  go 
caused  him  to  halt,  but  he  continued  to  assume 
the  posture  of  one  about  to  plunge,  with  his 
weight  thrown  on  his  left  foot,  which  was  in 
advance  of  the  right,  with  arms  stretched  up- 
wards. Leaning  over  the  water  I  requested 


James  River  Canal  Raid  361 

him  to  return.  I  made  repeated  entreaties, 
and  was  compelled  to  threaten  to  shoot  him 
every  time  he  moved.  A  half  dozen  of  his 
comrades  stood  on  the  opposite  bank  watching 
every  motion.  He  said  he  had  nearly 
drowned  in  his  effort  to  get  away  and  would 
not  take  the  same  chance  to  surrender,  but  if 
compelled  to  take  any  chances  it  would  be  to 
escape. 

While  I  had  no  intention  of  shooting,  I  was 
compelled  to  keep  up  appearances.  Several 
of  the  boys  had  now  assembled  on  the  bank, 
and  among  them  was  one  mounted  man.  I 
asked  him  if  he  would  come  back  if  we  sent 
him  a  horse.  He  said  yes. 

The  trooper  heard  this,  and  before  anyone 
could  speak  he  plunged  into  the  water,  swim- 
ming out  to  him,  and  the  boy  got  on  behind 
the  trooper. 

We  then  returned,  picking  up  the  prisoners 
that  had  hid  in  the  brush.  When  we  were 
even  with  the  place  where  the  flag  lay  I  told 
them  there  was  a  flag  over  there  and  I  would 
go  and  get  it  while  they  took  the  prisoners 
with  them.  As  I  turned  I  saw  a  mounted 
man  riding  at  a  gallop  across  the  field,  and 
after  taking  about  fifty  steps  saw  him  dis- 
mount, pick  up  the  flag,  and  return  to  the  rear 
with  it.  I  then  returned,  being  tired  with  the 
long  chase.  At  the  cabin  near  the  end  of  the 
lane  I  exchanged  one  of  the  twenty-dollar 
bills  for  a  dozen  biscuits  and  the  other  for  a 
quart  coffee-pot. 


362       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

We  soon  arrived  at  the  place  where  we  had 
left  the  wounded  man.  Our  regiment  with 
many  prisoners  had  assembled  there,  where 
we  remained  until  the  horses  arrived. 

It  is  a  pity  that  while  I  relate  my  own  ex- 
perience I  am  not  able  to  tell  of  others  or  what 
they  were  doing  at  the  same  time.  My  at- 
tention at  such  times  was  riveted  on  what  I 
was  doing,  and  there  is  no  time  to  record  even 
those  acts  of  others  which  I  remember. 

About  the  time  we  entered  the  timber  by 
the  river  there  were  many  exploits  that  would 
be  interesting  to  relate. 

We  had  a  glimpse  of  one  occurrence 
and  afterward  learned  the  result.  Between 
Waynesboro  and  the  river  there  is  a  bank 
about  ten  feet  high,  built  up  for  the  railroad 
track,  and  opposite  where  the  man  threw 
down  the  flag.  Soon  afterward  a  train  was 
pulling  out  on  the  bank,  and  a  trooper  gal- 
loped by  the  side  of  the  engine  and  drove  the 
engineer  from  the  lever  by  firing  his  revolver 
into  the  cab.  He  caught  hold,  swung  into  the 
cab,  stopped  the  engine,  and  captured  a  train- 
load  of  rebel  supplies. 

When  we  mounted,  and  crossed  the  railroad 
track  near  the  village,  we  followed  on  the  trail 
of  General  Early.  The  few  mounted  men 
who  had  escaped  had  taken  time  by  the  fore- 
lock. They  left  by  the  time  we  charged 
through  the  timber  early  in  the  engagement. 

After  crossing  the  river  we  wound  along  the 
steep  grade  that  led  us  to  the  top  of  the  Blue 


James  River  Canal  Raid  363 

Ridge.  We  passed  empty  wagons  from  which 
the  teams  had  been  taken  by  Early's  party, 
who  were  then  fleeing  toward  Charlottesville. 

When  we  approached  Charlottesville  the 
advance  was  frequently  checked  by  the 
enemy's  cavalry,  which  had  concentrated  to 
prevent  our  entering  the  town.  Flanking 
columns  moved  out  right  and  left,  and  we 
marched  in,  and  the  destruction  of  Confeder- 
ate stores  began  at  once. 

We  camped  one  night  in  the  suburbs  of  the 
town.  The  next  morning  the  Second  Ohio 
was  detached  with  orders  to  destroy  railroad 
tracks.  When  we  counted  off,  my  number 
happened  to  be  odd,  and  I  had  to  stay  with  the 
horses. 

My  feet  had  not  been  dry  since  leaving 
Winchester,  except  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time 
when  dried  by  the  fire.  Walking  through  the 
thick  mud  had  worn  out  my  boots,  and  I  was 
now  wearing  a  pair  of  plantation  shoes  with 
wooden  soles,  manufactured,  at  that  place  for 
the  field-hands. 

After  dinner  we  moved  below  the  town, 
and  lay  in  line  until  three  o'clock,  when  we 
were  again  detached  to  destroy  the  iron  bridge 
across  the  Ravenna  River.  We  learned  that 
two  different  regiments  had  worked  on  it  dur- 
ing the  day  and  had  given  it  up.  Custer  was 
determined  it  should  be  finished,  and  had 
been  waiting  since  noon  for  the  purpose. 

We  gathered  all  the  telegraph  wire,  includ- 
ing coils  found  at  the  depot  and  what  there 


364       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

was  strung  on  the  poles,  twisted  it  into  cables, 
and  ran  rails  through  with  two  men  at  each 
end  of  the  rail.  When  the  word  heave  was 
given,  everyone  pulled,  and  in  one  hour  and 
a  half  we  had  pulled  five  spans  from  the  piers, 
and  tumbled  them  into  the  river  about  twenty- 
five  feet  below. 

There  was  a  light  skirmish  line  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river  that  kept  firing  a  shot 
now  and  then.  Our  horses  were  massed  on  a 
hill  near  by.  I  went  to  get  some  matches  from 
the  saddle  pockets.  While  there,  General 
Custer,  who  had  started  everything  except  our 
brigade  on  the  road,  came  up  to  see  how  the 
work  was  progressing. 

His  staff  and  escort,  with  all  the  flags  cap- 
tured at  Waynesboro,  and  his  headquarters 
flags,  were  quite  a  gorgeous  array,  and  at- 
tracted the  enemy's  fire.  The  balls  passed 
over  our  horses,  and  they  sounded  rather  sharp 
in  the  evening  air. 

One  staff  officer  who  was  blustering  about 
called  out,  "  We  had  better  move  from  here, 
had  we  not,  General?"  There  was  no  reply 
to  the  sally,  but  a  withering  look  from  the 
General  sent  the  officer  to  the  rear  in  short 
order. 

It  was  dark  when  we  moved  out,  and  we 
marched  all  night.  We  soon  came  into  the 
richest  valley  of  Virginia,  where  the  Confed- 
erates drew  a  large  amount  of  supplies  for 
their  army.  The  destruction  of  these  supplies 
was  almost  complete  along  the  route  we 


James  River  Canal  Raid  365 

traveled,  and  with  plenty  of  forage  most  of 
the  stock  did  well  on  the  latter  end  of  the  raid. 

The  James  River  Canal  was  cut,  and  locks, 
boats,  and  cargoes  were  destroyed  when  we 
got  through  with  the  raid. 

There  had  been  some  skirmishing  with 
some  part  of  the  command  at  almost  every 
hour  of  daylight  since  we  met  them  near 
Charlottesville,  but  no  engagement  worthy  of 
note  until  we  arrived  at  Ashland,  about  eleven 
miles  from  Richmond. 

We  were  marching  into  the  center,  and  the 
advance  brigade  was  driving  the  stubborn 
enemy  in  front  of  them.  As  we  passed  near 
where  my  horse  had  fallen  under  me  on  June 
i,  and  over  the  ground  where  Company  D 
had  charged  the  sound  of  the  guns  in  the 
distance,  the  cold  chills  ran  up  my  back 
as  I  thought  of  the  brave  boys  who  fell  there 
in  what  might  be  properly  called  the  White 
Horse  charge,  Company  D  all  being  mounted 
on  white  horses. 

At  dark  we  had  completely  flanked  the 
enemy,  and  moved  to  White  House  Landing, 
where  Custer's  division  joined  Sheridan,  who 
had  come  on  the  raid,  but  by  a  different  route. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

THE  LAST  BATTLES 

A  REORGANIZATION  was  now  or- 
dered by  General  Sheridan.   The  un- 
serviceable horses  and  property  were 
condemned  and  turned  in.    My  horse 
had  a  saddle  bruise  and  I  was  compelled  to 
part  with  him.     Claybank  was  otherwise  in 
fine  condition. 

The  plans  were  changed,  and  we  moved  to 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  before  the  clothing 
and  the  fresh  horses  arrived.  The  dismounted 
men  had  to  walk.  There  was  no  enemy  to 
contend  with,  and  the  march  was  slow  and 
easy.  We  proceeded  to  Hancock's  Station  on 
the  ayth  of  March. 

On  the  28th  we  drew  horses.  My  mount 
was  a  sorrel  pony,  less  than  fourteen  hands 
high.  On  the  29th  we  moved  to  the  left  of 
Grant's  line.  The  rain  was  falling  constantly, 
and  the  horses  were  plunging  about  in  mud 
and  water.  It  was  impossible  to  keep  in  the 
column,  and  we  had  to  help  the  supply-train 
along,  which  was  a  discouraging  task.  The 
logs  that  had  been  put  in  for  corduroy  road 
were  in  many  instances  floating,  and  they  were 
an  obstacle  instead  of  a  benefit. 

The  battle  was  raging  within  hearing  dis- 
366 


The  Last  Battles  367 

tance,  and  the  continual  roar  of  cannon  and 
musketry  added  to  the  dreary  situation.  The 
front  line  was  lonesome  without  Custer,  and 
he  was  ordered  up.  We  made  the  best  time 
possible,  leaving  the  train  to  fall  to  any  fate 
that  might  overtake  it.  On  the  route  we 
passed  hundreds  of  dead  and  wounded  that 
lay  in  the  mud  or  sat  braced  up  by  trees.  Some 
had  arms  in  slings  and,  with  their  clothes  cut 
open  to  bind  up  their  wounds,  and  their  faces 
and  hands  besmeared  with  blood  and  powder 
smoke,  they  made  a  pitiful-looking  sight  as 
they  hobbled  or  crawled  toward  the  station  at 
the  end  of  the  military  railroad. 

After  traveling  two  or  three  hours  we  came 
to  the  cavalry  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
among  them  the  Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry.  When 
we  passed  I  rode  over  and  shook  hands  with 
some  of  my  old  schoolmates. 

Our  journey  was  near  an  end,  for  the  Sixth 
was  then  drawing  in  its  skirmish  line  in  order 
to  be  out  of  Ouster's  way.  We  moved 
on  a  half  mile,  and  while  the  cavalry  dis- 
mounted, the  artillery,  which  had  been  kept 
well  to  the  front,  opened  on  Pickett's  troops 
at  about  eight  hundred  yards. 

We  charged  in  a  mass  as  soon  as  we  could 
get  together,  in  little  or  no  order,  driving  all 
light  lines  before  us.  Hayes,  who  was  run- 
ning by  me,  went  down  with  the  first  volley 
from  the  main  line.  I  kept  on  firing  at  every 
step  until  the  magazine  was  empty,  and  re- 
loaded while  running.  I  jumped  a  ditch 


368        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

about  five  feet  wide,  when  a  minie  ball  struck 
my  left  ankle. 

General  Custer,  with  his  flag  bearer,  dashed 
by  just  at  that  time.  The  horses  sank  to  their 
knees  at  every  jump.  After  running  thirty 
steps  or  more  I  thought  it  best  to  see  how  bad 
my  wound  was,  and  I  went  back  to  the  ditch 
and  sat  behind  a  stump  and  pulled  off  my 
boot,  which  was  full  of  blood.  I  concluded  it 
did  not  amount  to  much,  and  started  on  again. 
I  think  at  least  one  dozen  balls  struck  the 
stump  while  I  was  there. 

When  I  arrived  at  the  place  from  which  I 
had  turned  back  I  was  well  in  the  rear  of  our 
men,  who  were  lying  flat  on  the  brow  of  a 
little  rise  of  ground  in  front.  A  storm  of  lead 
was  flying,  and  the  enemy  charged  and  we 
broke.  The  ground  we  had  come  over  was 
sloping  and  there  was  such  a  storm  of  lead  I 
thought  it  best  to  follow  up  the  swale,  for  the 
rise  of  ground  would  have  a  tendency  to 
carry  the  balls  high  over  my  head.  My 
clothes  were  cut  in  several  places,  however, 
before  I  reached  shelter. 

When  the  enemy  had  arrived  at  the  highest 
point  I  was  in  the  woods  and  in  another  bri- 
gade, which  was  also  falling  back  at  will.  A 
high  rail  fence  was  in  front  of  us,  and  I 
shouted,  "  Here  is  a  good  place  to  make  a 
stand!  Rally  on  this  fence!" 

A  lieutenant-colonel  was  in  front  of  me. 
He  drew  his  saber,  halted,  and  ordered  his 
men  to  form  there.  The  lead  was  spatting 


The  Last  Battles  369 

on  the  trees,  one  of  which  I  managed  to  keep 
between  the  enemy  and  me  until  I  could  catch 
my  breath,  for  I  was  winded  by  my  long 
run. 

When  most  of  the  men  had  dropped  over 
the  fence  I  walked  up,  climbed  over,  walked 
leisurely  to  the  right,  fell  in  with  our  regi- 
ment, and  nearly  the  first  man  I  met  was  Cap- 
tain Newton.  He  told  me  to  tell  Sergeant 
Grist  to  rally  the  men  on  that  ground.  It 
was  now  getting  dark.  I  did  not  tell  the  Cap- 
tain I  was  wounded,  and  when  a  little  farther 
back  called  for  Sergeant  Grist  and  was  an- 
swered, "Here!"  Before  I  saw  him  I  was 
repeating  the  Captain's  orders,  and  I  received 
the  curt  reply  that  he  was  then  being  carried 
back  by  two  men  with  a  bullet  through  his 
lung.  I  apologized,  of  course,  although  I  had 
committed  no  offence,  not  knowing  he  was 
wounded. 

The  men  were  soon  in  order  and  they  made 
the  second  charge.  My  ankle  began  to  feel 
heavy,  and  pained  me  so  I  went  with  the 
horses  to  the  rear.  During  the  first  charge  we 
noticed  something  we  had  not  seen  before. 
The  work  of  the  battery  was  fearful.  The 
ground  in  front  of  it  sloped  gently  down  to 
the  junction  of  two  draws  or  swales,  divided 
by  a  point  that  sloped  back  to  the  right.  The 
second  draw  was  partly  hid  by  the  point  that 
covered  all  of  the  enemy's  line  except  the 
right,  which  rested  on  the  railroad.  Every 
time  the  guns  were  discharged  the  grape  swept 


370       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

that  part  of  the  line  completely  away,  and  the 
line  would  wheel  into  column  and  fill  up  the 
gap  just  vacated,  only  to  meet  the  same  fate. 
There  was  nothing  to  prevent  the  artillery 
from  recharging  and  firing,  and  therefore  each 
man  knowingly  stepped  into  a  dead  man's 
shoes.  It  was  an  act  of  suicide,  actuated  by 
a  determined  bravado  to  keep  up  an  appear- 
ance from  the  fact  that  they  were  experienced 
officers,  and  that  the  men  had  engaged  in  all 
the  important  battles  of  the  war.  At  their 
right  there  was  a  railroad  embankment  which 
would  have  given  them  ample  protection  and 
which  would  have  enabled  them  to  control  the 
same  ground  had  they  chosen  to  take  refuge 
behind  it.  A  small  detachment  of  sharp- 
shooters could  have  compelled  Ouster's  artil- 
lery to  abandon  its  position. 

When  once  more  in  the  saddle  I  laid  my 
foot  across  the  horse's  neck,  cut  the  top  of  the 
boot  away,  and  tied  up  the  wound  with  a 
handkerchief.  In  the  morning,  with  a  com- 
panion to  bring  the  horse  back,  I  went  to  the 
hospital  at  Dinwiddie  Court  House.  So 
many  were  there  so  much  worse  than  I,  and 
who  needed  all  the  attention  of  the  force  of 
surgeons  and  attendants,  that  I  told  them  to 
give  me  a  pan  and  bandage  and  I  could  take 
care  of  myself. 

"That  is  the  kind  of  talk  we  like  to  hear. 
We  are  overrun  with  work,"  the  doctor  said. 

By  the  time  the  wound  was  bandaged,  they 
brought  in  Captain  Newton.  He  had  been 


The  Last  Battles  371 

wounded  in  the  leg  during  the  last  charge  and 
had  lain  out  all  night  between  the  lines. 

The  enemy  abandoned  their  position  during 
the  night. 

About  noon  those  able  to  walk  to  the  am- 
bulance were  ordered  to  get  in  and  go  to 
Hancock's  Station.  I  had  placed  my  overcoat 
under  Captain  Newton  to  brace  him  up 
against  the  wall  of  the  court-house.  My  medal 
was  in  the  pocket,  and  I  went  away  and  left 
it  rather  than  disturb  him. 

My  ankle  was  now  swollen  and  somewhat 
painful.  I  hobbled  about,  and  we  arrived  at 
the  station  a  little  before  dark.  The  Women's 
Relief  Corps  was  here  in  force,  administering 
to  the  sick  and  wounded  who  were  arriving 
by  thousands  from  all  along  the  line,  from 
Petersburg  to  Dinwiddie  Court  House. 

We  were  loaded  into  box-  and  flat-cars, 
crowded  to  the  utmost  limit,  and  run  over  a 
military  railroad,  a  track  laid  on  top  of  the 
ground  without  grading,  to  City  Point.  The 
method  of  braking  at  that  time  was  crude,  and 
as  we  went  up  and  down  hill  the  train  would 
jerk  and  crash  together  with  such  force  that 
the  men  would  slide  together  on  the  bottom 
of  the  cars. 

At  daylight  we  arrived  at  our  destination 
and  were  placed  in  tents.  The  Captain  was 
brought  in  the  next  day,  with  his  leg  ampu- 
tated, and  in  a  dying  condition.  This  was  sad 
news  to  me.  He  had  been  the  central  figure 
of  our  company,  always  at  his  post,  intelligent, 


372        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

reliable  at  all  times  and  under  all  conditions, 
patient  with  toil  and  privation,  and  now  he 
must  die  with  victory  in  view. 

The  authorities  were  moving  the  men  as  fast 
as  they  were  able,  and  in  a  few  days  we  were 
loaded  on  transports  and  landed  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  where  we  were  placed  in  Glenwood 
Hospital. 

Although  I  dressed  my  wound  twice  each 
day,  the  doctor  insisted  on  the  amputation  of 
my  foot,  and  only  by  appealing  to  the  chief 
surgeon  was  I  able  to  save  it.  In  a  few  days 
we  were  shipped  to  Philadelphia  and  placed 
in  Chestnut  Hill  Hospital,  where  I  remained 
until  the  wound  was  healed.  The  sojourn  at 
Chestnut  Hill  was  comfortable  under  the  ex- 
isting conditions.  We  read  the  daily  news 
about  the  closing  events,  and  received  letters 
from  men  of  our  company  who  participated 
for  the  remaining  nine  days  that  brought  the 
struggle  to  a  close  between  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia. With  letters  from  home  with  small 
remittances,  and  calls  from  relatives  and 
friends  from  the  city,  the  time  passed  off 
pleasantly  until  after  the  grand  review,  in 
which  the  Second  Ohio  marched  with  their 
old  division  and  went  into  camp  near  Alex- 
andria, expecting  to  be  mustered  out  of  serv- 
ice soon.  That  news  made  me  anxious  to  go, 
and  in  the  month  of  June,  1865,  I  made  appli- 
cation to  be  released  and  was  booked  to  go 
with  the  first  squad.  When  everything  was 


The  Last  Battles  373 

ready  they  placed  an  armed  guard  around  us 
with  fixed  bayonets,  marched  us  into  cars, 
locked  the  doors,  and  stationed  a  guard  on 
each  platform. 

When  we  arrived  in  the  city  we  were 
marched  to  a  large  building  with  grated  iron 
doors  and  windows,  and  locked  in.  It  being 
the  first  time  I  was  a  real  prisoner  it  made  me 
feel  as  if  there  should  be  some  way  to  escape, 
and  I  applied  for  leave  to  visit  my  friends  in 
the  city,  but  was  promptly  refused,  although 
I  promised  to  be  on  time  for  the  train  that 
would  depart  in  the  evening. 

The  same  treatment  was  continued,  and  on 
our  arrival  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  we  were 
turned  into  a  large  detention  building  with 
iron  gratings  near  the  B.  &.  O.  Depot.  There 
we  were  kept  during  the  night  without  a 
blanket,  being  compelled  to  lie  down  on  the 
filthy  floor,  which  looked  as  if  it  had  never 
been  cleaned  and  which  was  alive  with  ver- 
min. We  were  without  one  mouthful  to 
eat,  and  only  river  water  to  drink,  of  which 
there  was  an  abundance  to  be  procured  at  a 
hydrant  placed  there  for  that  purpose. 

This  treatment  caused  me  to  feel  bitter 
toward  the  perpetrators  of  such  a  crime.  On 
inquiry  as  to  the  cause  of  the  treatment,  some 
officers  would  walk  away  without  answering, 
while  others  would  reply,  "  To  keep  you 
from  getting  away."  The  snobbishness  of  the 
officers  caused  me  to  regret  that  I  had  ever 
taken  up  arms  to  tear  down  one  set  of  aristo- 


374        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

crats  who  domineered  over  the  blacks,  to 
build  another  class  to  domineer  over  the 
whites,  which  might  be  regarded  as  a  forecast 
of  the  political  future  of  the  Republic.  The 
same  method  of  treatment  was  continued  for 
several  hours  after  our  arrival  at  Alexandria. 
When  we  arrived  in  Alexandria  we  learned 
that  the  regiment,  having  been  dismounted, 
was  then  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

A  small  squad  of  the  Second  Ohio  men 
having  reported  at  Alexandria  from  various 
hospitals,  we  were  released  and  permitted  to 
go  to  quarters  with  them,  and  forwarded  to 
the  regiment. 

On  our  arrival  in  St.  Louis  we  learned  that 
an  effort  had  been  made  to  take  the  regiment 
with  Hunter's  expedition  up  the  Red  River 
for  the  purpose  of  seizing  contraband  cotton. 
The  war  having  terminated,  the  men  consid- 
ered their  contract  fulfilled,  and  raised  a  pro- 
test, the  result  of  which  was  a  riot  that  drove 
Colonel  Nettleton  from  the  regiment  and 
landed  the  men  in  Benton  Barracks,  Missouri, 
where  we  joined  them. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

MUSTERED  OUT 

ON  the  first  day  of  July  the  regiment 
was  marched  to  the  depot  and  sent  on 
cars  to  Raleigh,  the  terminus  of  the 
railroad  then  being  built  to  Spring- 
field, Missouri.    After  marching  on  foot  for 
two  days,  we  went  into  camp  and  lay  over  the 
4th.    There  was  no  demonstration  to  denote 
that  it  was  Independence  Day  except  the  halt 
to  rest. 

On  our  arrival  at  Springfield  we  pitched 
camp  in  a  pleasant  open  grove.  There  was  no 
apparent  reason  for  this  movement,  and  when 
those  who  should  know  were  approached  with 
the  question,  they  would  reply  that  there  was 
an  unsettled  condition  somewhere  in  the  South 
but  that  they  did  not  know  exactly  where. 
The  reply  only  intensified  the  already  exas- 
perated questioner,  who  could  reach  no  other 
conclusion  than  that  it  was  to  raise  the  grade 
of  the  officers,  many  of  whom  had  filched  what 
they  already  had.  The  former  worthy  officers 
having  been  killed,  wounded,  or  having  re- 
signed on  account  of  bad  treatment,  the  record 
of  the  regiment  began  to  change  after  leaving 
Washington,  as  the  men  considered  their  con- 

375 


376        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

tract  fulfilled  and  claimed  the  right  to  go 
home. 

The  mud-and-water  class  of  officers  now  be- 
ing in  control,  and  the  arch  conspirator  hav- 
ing gone  to  gloat  over  his  ill-gotten  gains,  the 
true  soldier  burned  with  indignation  when 
put  off  with  evasive  answers.  So,  taking  into 
consideration  the  reward  given  for  faithful 
duty,  they  threw  off  all  responsibility  and  did 
not  pretend  to  do  anything  as  it  should  be 
done. 

When  horses  and  equipments  were  issued 
the  regiment  separated  by  battalions,  the  one 
to  which  Company  E  belonged  remaining  at 
Springfield  to  do  duty  at  that  place.  The  last 
horse  assigned  me,  and  the  seventeenth  one 
ridden  in  the  regular  line  of  mount,  was  an 
iron-gray,  well  built,  and  sixteen  hands 
high. 

Before  leaving  this  place,  I  was  informed 
of  two  things  of  importance  to  me.  One  day 
G.  A.  Richardson  of  Company  A  came  into 
our  quarters  and  told  me  that  he  had  the  re- 
volver I  had  taken  from  the  officer  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Ashland.  He  was  with  the  ad- 
vance of  the  dismounted  line  that  moved  out 
and  took  possession  of  our  original  line.  He 
was  the  first  to  the  dead  horse,  and  picked  the 
revolver  up  from  in  front  of  the  saddle  where 
it  fell  when  he  went  down.  He  asked  me  if 
I  would  know  it,  and  I  replied  that  it  was 
different  from  any  I  had  ever  seen,  the  cylin- 
der being  fluted.  He  said  it  was,  and  pro- 


Mustered  Out  377 

duced  it.  He  offered  it  to  me,  but,  as  he  had 
come  into  possession  of  it  by  fair  means,  his 
offer  was  refused.  At  another  time,  a  man 
from  Company  B,  whom  I  was  not  acquainted 
with,  said,  "  You  thought  you  shot  that  man 
at  Waynesboro."  I  told  him  that  I  thought 
so.  He  said,  "  You  did  not  shoot  him;  you 
fired  and  the  man  fell,  but  you  missed  him. 
Polhemus  was  to  the  right  and  rear  of  you 
and  his  shot  brought  the  man  down." 

This  news  was  thankfully  received,  for  I 
had  no  inclination  to  retain  the  thought  of  hav- 
ing been  directly  the  cause  of  any  man's  death 
or  misery.  As  this  claim  was  made  for  the 
man  that  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  best 
long-range  marksman  in  the  regiment,  I  will- 
ingly waived  my  judgment  in  the  case. 

Headquarters  and  quartermaster  and  com- 
missary stores  were  in  town.  The  guards  were 
detailed  with  a  sergeant  in  command,  who 
marched  to  town  and  remained  for  three  days. 
This  duty,  as  sergeant  of  the  guard,  fell  to  my 
lot  several  times  during  our  stay.  The  county 
jail  and  the  stockade  for  military  prisoners 
were  entrusted  to  us  and,  under  the  conditions 
and  with  the  frame  of  mind  the  men  were  in, 
the  way  we  performed  the  duty  would  be  no 
credit  to  our  record,  so  I  will  omit  it. 

Only  two  incidents  occurred  while  we  were 
here  that  are  worthy  of  note.  One  was  the 
killing  of  a  man  by  the  name  of  Tutt  by  Bill 
Hickok,  better  known  as  Wild  Bill.  They 
fell  out  over  a  game  of  cards  and  separated. 


378       Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

The  next  time  they  met,  both  drew  and  fired 
about  the  same  time,  and  Tutt  fell  dead. 

They  were  companion  scouts,  and  were  as- 
signed to  duty  at  Springfield,  where  Tutt's 
mother  lived.  Bill  was  placed  in  jail  and  the 
sheriff  told  me  to  take  him  out  when  he  wanted 
to  go,  as  he  had  no  authority  to  do  so  himself. 

When  on  duty  we  walked  about  together, 
and  he  told  me  the  adventures  of  his  life, 
which  were  substantially  the  same  as  quoted 
in  the  book  entitled  "  The  Life  of  Wild  Bill." 

He  was  acquitted  by  a  jury,  afterward,  and 
went  to  Kansas. 

Time  wore  away  slowly,  and  repeated  ef- 
forts failed  to  get  the  proper  influence  to  bear 
on  the  Governor  of  Ohio  to  order  the  regiment 
home  to  be  mustered  out  of  service.  Assured 
by  letters  from  the  other  battalions  that  they 
would  support  us  in  any  stringent  measures  we 
might  employ,  we  held  a  council  and  elected 
delegates  to  wait  on  the  Colonel. 

The  delegates  elected  at  the  meeting 
previously  spoken  of  chose  a  spokesman, 
marched  to  headquarters,  and  talked  with 
Colonel  Seward,  who  told  them  they  were  get- 
ting themselves  into  trouble;  but  he  was 
promptly  warned  by  the  spokesman  that  we 
would  be  in  the  saddle  at  sunrise  the  next 
morning  and  would  march  to  the  railroad,  and 
that  if  he  made  a  protest  he  would  not  follow 
us  but  would  remain  to  decorate  a  shade  tree 
in  Springfield.  He  suddenly  came  to  terms, 
and  offered  to  bring  in  the  other  battalions 


Mustered  Out  379 

and  march  one  week  from  the  next  morn- 
ing. 

The  delegation  reported  the  result  of  their 
mission,  and  we  accepted  the  terms.  One 
week  found  us  on  our  way  to  St.  Louis,  where 
we  went  into  quarters  at  Benton  Barracks.  We 
turned  in  our  horses,  arms,  and  equipments, 
and  were  mustered  out  of  service  September 
n,  1865. 

We  went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  we 
were  paid  off  and  disbanded. 

At  the  completion  of  the  Second  Ohio's 
regimental  organization,  October  10,  1861,  it 
mustered,  according  to  its  daily  report,  1,177 
men.  This  enrollment  was  subsequently 
swollen  to  a  total  of  1,240  men.  The  official 
roster,  published  at  Columbus,  shows  that  by 
casualties,  deaths,  transfers,  promotions,  etc., 
2,504  names  were,  during  its  time  of  service, 
carried  on  its  rolls,  and  that  when  finally  mus- 
tered out,  September  n,  1865,  it  numbered 
757,  almost  200  of  whom  were  recruits  of  less 
than  six  months'  service;  showing  an  actual 
loss  from  all  causes,  during  its  term  of  service, 
of  1,749  menj  or  561  more  than  the  whole 
number  enrolled  within  its  ranks  October  10, 
1861. 

It  is  stated  in  the  "  History  of  Ohio  in  the 
War,"  that  the  Second  Ohio  fought  under  the 
following  general  officers:  Buell,  Wright, 
Hunter,  Denver,  Sturges,  Blunt,  Soloman, 
Curtis,  Schofield,  Burnside,  Custer,  Gillmore, 
Shackelford,  Foster,  Kautz,  Sedgwick,  Wil- 


380       Four  Years  'with  Five  Armies 

son,  Mclntosh,  Talbot,  Carter,  Sheridan, 
Meade  and  Grant. 

Its  horses  drank  from,  and  the  troopers  have 
bathed  in,  the  waters  of  the  Arkansas,  Caw, 
Osage,  Cygene,  Missouri,  Mississippi,  Ohio, 
Scioto,  Miami,  Cumberland,  Tennessee,  Hols- 
ton,  Potomac,  Shenandoah,  Rappahannock, 
Rapidan,  Bull  Run,  Mattaponi,  Pamunkey, 
Chickahominy,  James,  Appomattox,  Black 
Water,  Nottoway,  and  Chesapeake. 

It  has  campaigned  in  thirteen  States  and  one 
Territory:  Kansas,  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Illi- 
nois, Indiana,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
Georgia,  Alabama,  West  Virginia,  Maryland, 
Virginia,  and  Indian  Territory. 

It  has  traveled,  as  a  regiment,  on  foot  and  on 
horseback,  by  railroad  and  steamboat,  on  land, 
by  river,  and  on  the  ocean.  It  has  marched  an 
aggregate  of  twenty-seven  thousand  miles.  It 
has  fought  in  ninety-seven  battles  and  engage- 
ments. It  has  served  in  five  different  armies: 
The  Army  of  the  Frontier,  of  the  Missouri, 
of  the  Potomac,  of  Ohio,  and  of  the  Shenan- 
doah, forming  a  continuous  line  of  armies 
from  the  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas  to  the 
mouth  of  the  James. 

Its  dead  sleep  where  they  fell  from  a  vidette 
line  half  across  the  continent,  a  chain  of  pros- 
trate sentinels  two  thousand  miles  long. 

Even  in  their  graves  may  not  their  prostrate 
dead  still  guard  the  glory  and  integrity  of  the 
Republic  for  which  they  fell? 


CHAPTER    XXX 

POLITICAL    AND    MILITARY    EFFECT    OF 
MORGAN'S    RAID 

THE   advent  of  the   Morgan   raid  in 
July,  1863,  although  eclipsed  by  the 
extensive  military  movements  of  the 
armies  of  the  Potomac  and  the  Miss- 
issippi,  was   very   important   as    to    its   final 
result.     It  silenced  the  clamor  for  the  recog- 
nition   of    State's    rights    by    the    pretender, 
distributed   the    intelligence    of   the   inferior 
resources  of  the  South,  and  compelled  them 
to  abandon  all  hope  of  substantial  assistance 
from  the  North. 

It  was  a  complete  destruction  of  the  right 
arm  of  Bragg's  army,  a  succession  of  strategic 
movements,  an  extreme  test  of  the  endurance 
of  man  and  beast.  Its  development  enabled 
the  Army  of  the  Ohio  to  cross  the  Cumberland 
range,  and  to  seize  and  maintain  a  stronghold 
in  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country.  It  re- 
sulted in  the  assignment  of  competent  officers 
to  the  cavalry  bureau,  whose  recommendations 
placed  that  branch  of  the  service  in  its  proper 
standing,  which  is  sufficiently  attested  by  of- 
ficial records,  and  by  the  history  of  General 
R.  E.  Lee,  who  frequently  refers  to  the  ef- 

381 


382        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

ficiency  of  Sheridan's  cavalry  in  the  closing 
days  of  the  dying  struggle. 

Among  the  pioneers  of  this  adventure  was 
Colonel,  afterward  General,  A.  V.  Kautz,  a 
soldier  by  nature  and  education,  a  philoso- 
pher, a  man  who  solved  a  problem  at  a  glance, 
a  man  of  indomitable  courage,  loyal  to  his 
country,  and  proud  of  his  profession.  Lim- 
ited to  an  unimportant  command,  a  great  mili- 
tary genius  was  buried  in  obscurity  for  the 
want  of  an  opportunity. 


CHAPTER    XXXI 
THE  ARMY  HORSE 

IT  has  been  asserted  that  the  horse  has  no 
reasoning  powers,  and  lacks  discretion; 
but  my  experience  teaches  me  that  he  is 
in  possession  of  both,  and  in  many  cases 
to  a  marked  degree.     There  are  some  very 
dull  horses  and  an  occasional  desperado  that 
has  to  be  subjugated ;  a  process  which  usually 
breaks  his  constitution  to  an  extent  that  ren- 
ders him  worthless. 

Like  men,  the  average  and  superior  horse 
soon  learns  the  trumpet  calls,  is  at  home  with 
his  associates,  and  adapts  himself  to  the  vicis- 
situdes of  army  life.  He  apparently  under- 
stands if  he  is  to  make  a  long  journey  or  a 
short  dash,  and  gauges  his  actions  accordingly. 
Stationed  on  the  vidette  line  in  a  lonesome 
place  on  a  dark  night,  he  feels  his  position 
keenly,  and  will  express  his  gratitude  at  relief 
as  much  as  his  rider.  He  is  a  good  sentinel; 
and  by  watching  his  ears  closely  one  will 
never  be  deceived  by  an  unexpected  approach. 
He  never  steps  on  a  dead,  wounded,  or 
sleeping  trooper,  although  he  may  pass  di- 
rectly over  him.  When  on  a  rapid  retreat, 
though  hungry,  thirsty,  and  tired,  he  will 
exert  every  energy  to  keep  up  with  the  throng. 
In  battle  he  partakes  of  the  hopes  and  fears 

383 


384        Four  Years  with  Five  Armies 

incidental  to  the  occasion.  On  the  skirmish 
line  he  will  mope  back  and  forth,  with  his 
head  hanging  down  and  ears  lopped,  is  if  very 
tired.  At  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  he  will 
move  rapidly  to  the  front  or  rear  at  the  will 
of  the  trooper.  When  heavy  battles  are  rag- 
ing, if  standing  in  line,  he  becomes  nervous 
with  the  suspense,  and  will  tremble  and  sweat 
and  grow  apprehensive.  At  any  sound  that 
indicates  a  move,  the  rider  can  feel  him  work- 
ing the  bit  with  his  tongue.  As  he  moves  out 
he  seeks  to  go  faster,  and  when  restrained 
shows  his  disapproval  by  feigning  to  bolt. 
He  will  then  grasp  the  bit  afresh,  and  dash 
ahead  as  if  to  brave  the  worst  and  have  it  over 
as  quickly  as  possible. 

A  horse's  actions  when  wounded  depend  on 
the  nature  of  the  wound.  If  shot  through 
the  lungs,  he  will  cough  one  hard  choking 
cough,  the  blood  flowing  out  of  his  mouth  and 
nostrils.  He  will  mope  away  for  a  short  dis- 
tance and  stand  with  head  down.  If  the 
wound  is  a  painful  one,  such  as  a  broken  leg, 
he  will  utter  one  piercing  shriek  or  hysterical 
scream  that  resembles  the  cry  of  the  wild 
panther,  and  that  causes  a  shudder  to  run 
through  the  frame  of  the  bravest  soldier.  If 
a  ball  passes  through  his  heart,  he  will  make 
ten  or  twelve  leaps  with  even  more  vigor  than 
at  any  time  during  health,  and  then  fall  heav- 
ily, being  dead  before  falling.  If  shot  through 
the  brain  all  support  is  gone,  and  he  falls  a 
dead  weight,  and  straightens  out  without 
another  move. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 


This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 

ve-  ' 


6   ,76 
AUG  1 7 1981  RECD 


50m-6,'67(H2523s8)2373 


E601.G27 


3  2106  00061    1548 


